


The Tale of the Kind and the Hostile Prince

by mnemoszune



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Folktales, Isander writes poems, Kastor actually has a brain, M/M, Pet Laurent, Prophecies, as a treat, reverse au, some Auguste content here and there, some Nikandros/Ancel if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:34:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 32,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24429568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mnemoszune/pseuds/mnemoszune
Summary: Laurent, the Crown Prince of Vere finds himself a victim of a coup. His uncle sends him to Akielos as a pet among twelve other (real) ones. Far away from home, with everyone thinking he is dead, he finds the best opportunity to revenge his brother's death.
Relationships: Ancel/Nikandros, Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince), Kastor & Laurent (Captive Prince), Laurent & Isander
Comments: 29
Kudos: 200





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> Firstly, this fic is sitting finished on my laptop so no need to worry about me abandoning it. ;)  
> Secondly, I am not a native speaker, and I usually write short stories with one (1) plotline, so if you notice any mistakes, feel free to tell them.  
> Lastly, I am planning on updating every week/every five days.  
> Enjoy! :)

"We hear that your prince," said Councillor Guion, the Ambassador of Vere, "keeps his own harem. These pets will be a unique addition to the slaves, but I have asked the overseer to prepare something special in addition, a personal gift for your Prince from the King. A gem in the rough, as it were."

"His Majesty has been already so generous," said Lady Jokaste.

They strolled the length of the viewing gallery, where usually slaves were presented. Now the walls were lined with twelve pets. The gallery had room for up to fifty slaves to obediently kneel before the observers. The pets were far less in number but they filled in the place just as much. Or even more. All of them were dressed in silks and ornamented with jewellery and paint on various places on their bodies. They were almost too much for the human eye, especially after the shy slaves Jokaste was used to. They could not stand still - they were tapping with their feet, whispering to each other or striking poses.

They were to be a gift from the new King of Vere to the Akielon King. They could be thought of as a highly generous gift, with all their expensive jewellery and expensive bodies, if only Jokaste did not already know the snake-like minds of Veretian people. Letting two dozen pets into the Akielon Court, letting them gossip and spy and get into Courtsmen's beds - Jokaste got a headache just from the thought.

As they reached the far end of the gallery, Adrastus, the Keeper of the Royal Slaves, who was also tasked with handling the pets, bowed sharply, the heels of his laced brown leather boots drawing together.

"Ah. Here we are," said Councillor Guion, smiling.

They proceeded into an antechamber, and Jokaste's eyes widened.

The last pet was truly a gem in the rough. He was beautiful, so beautiful that at first glance Jokaste could not decide if the pet before her was male or female. He was sitting on a chair, one leg thrown lazily over the other, arms crossed. He did not have any restraints, but Jokaste found herself wishing he had some. He was regarding her with a look that could freeze the summer sun. Jokaste, seeing the fair hair and blue eyes, both more striking than hers, felt a peck of jealousy.

Councillor Guion said, "He is a special gift for your Crown Prince. He was chosen because of his colouring. Rumor has it His Majesty likes blond hair and blue eyes."

Jokaste thought of how fond Damen will be of his new pet. He would be a new, interesting addition to his harem, but eventually, would lose his appeal. So far, only Jokaste has been able to hold the Prince's attention for more than a few weeks. She was not worried.

"Does he have a name?" asked Jokate.

"Your Prince is of course, free to call him whatever he likes," said Councillor Guion. "But I believe it would geatly please the King if he were to call him Laurent." His eyes glittered.

Jokaste and Adrastus exchanged a look.

"That is certainly- an interesting choice of name," said Jokaste.

"The King thinks so," said Councillor Guion, stretching his lips slightly.  
___

They broke into his room in the dead of night. Laurent woke immediately. The Prince's Guard was nowhere to be seen, just the five assassins, wielding swords. Laurent was an excellent swordsman, but he wasn't able to handle five men at once. He reached for his sword beside his bed, and threw himself into combat.

It was over very quickly.

Laurent moved fast, made them chase him throughout his whole bedroom, while trying to duck from the pillows, vases and other decorations thrown at them. He clashed swords several times with two men, and killed one of them. He almost managed to slip out of the door, but before he could do that he was caught. As soon as one of them had a grip on his upper arm, a second assassin moved to disarm him and help the other hold him down.

"Whatever he pays you, I can pay double," Laurent blurted.

His mind ran through the people who possibly wanted him dead. Surprised, he found that the man with the most reason for it was his Uncle. But no. A small, naive, childish part of Laurent still wanted to believe that Uncle wouldn't kill him. It has been always obvious that he wanted the throne, but Laurent thought Uncle would be pleased with a simple declaration that his nephew was unfit to rule for some made-up reason.

"Too bad you haven't got money anymore," laughed one man. Laurent wanted to counter, say that last time he checked he still had Aquitart and a number of lands, but he was stunned to silence by a bag pulling over his head.

He was turned and then shoved forward, probably out the door. So this wasn't an assassination. It was a kidnapping. But who would kidnap him? Akielos? Vask? Probably not Patras, since King Torgeir was on friendly terms with Vere. (Though you never know.) Maybe Uncle? Maybe this was some twisted way of getting him out of the way? Maybe the Akielons wanted to have another province by blackmailing the Regent that if he didn't hand it over to them, Vere would lose its heir to the throne. Damn the Akileons, he thought. Uncle will be overjoyed when he gets that offer. He would protect the kingdom, get rid of his rebellious nephew and ascend to the throne as King.

Laurent was snapped back to reality by one of the men holding him.

"D'you think we can fuck him?"

"I don't think the King would mind," said another voice from behind his back. "At this point, it makes no difference."

"Shut up," said a third man from the front. "We have to get him to the ship in twenty minutes. We must hurry, he put up more of a fight than we anticipated."

"Son of a bitch," murmured the first one.

There was a ship. That meant he was most likely headed to Akielos. So after all, those barbarians really were up to something. The idea amused Laurent. Kidnapping and possibly blackmailing were definitely not the Akielon way to do things. They preferred force and straightforward techniques. This was the work of a Veretian mind. Could it be his Uncle? Had he made a pact with King Theomedes behind Laurent's back? Kidnap Laurent, and they get - let's say - Arren? And on the way back, some unfortunate accident will happen, resulting in Laurents death? And then swindling the Akileons by denying the offer? No. That made no sense. Why involve the Akielons and risk Arren if there were a thousand easier ways of getting rid of Laurent?

But the men's words proved otherwise. They called Uncle 'King' and said 'At this point, it makes no difference.' His Uncle's hand was in the events. And he must have conspired with the Akielons or someone else. Or did he just simply intend to drop Laurent off somewhere in Akielos and wait until he's recognised and torn apart by enemies?

He decided, (to quote one of his kidnappers) at this point it would make no difference to try and talk himself out of trouble. He wouldn't be able to escape with force. Words must be effectless too - this scheme was too grand to be altered by some words. It would be the best if he disappeared from the palace, from his Uncle's vision, and escape from the ship and hide somewhere to have time to plan his defence.

Eventually, they arrived to the docks. Laurent felt the chill of the night air on his neck, where it wasn't covered by the bag. The sound of waves clashing to the ships and the docks was almost soothing. Wasn't he in the middle of being kidnapped, he would have sat down on the grass, and read by candlelight.

"Watch your step," warned someone, then added, sarcastically, "Your Highness."

At the next step, Laurent felt the ground bouncing under him. They arrived to the ship. They were probably on a smaller one, fit to sail on the river, and will change ships at the coast. Good. That is when Laurent will escape.  
___

The pets were to be introduced at dinner.

To celebrate that after all, they were able to not only make some sort of truce, but an agreement with Vere, a banquet was held in the Akielon Court. The banquet was going to consist of nine courses, with entertainments held between them. They told Damen that the pets will appear during the fifth course, when everyone is going to be drunk enough to tolerate Veretians but not drunk enough to want to pick fights.

Damen thought that line of thought was somewhat faulty, but the Veretian pets were very much likely to be hated either way, so the matter of their introduction was the least bit of his problems.

A bigger problem, however, was what the pets were going to do in Arles. King Theomedes fell ill a month ago, and the realisation that he was only mortal made him want to leave a peaceful nation behind. He decided to make peace with the Veretians, which they surprisingly accepted. The details of the agreement were still to be discussed, but the new King felt the need to send a gift to Akielos. A gift, or spies, depending on how much you trust the Veretians. Even though his father wanted to parley with them, it did not mean he trusted Veretian snakes. These pets are going to sleep their way into the favours of the most powerful people in his country and report back on everything to the King.

Knowing he is going to receive a personal pet made him uneasy. He has never seen a pet in person, only heard gossip about them. They said pets wore so much jewellery and paint, you won't recognise them next to you in the morning. They said pets were very territorial and ambitious. They said pets and their masters made love anywhere - even in front of other people. They said sometimes they raped each other for the entertainment of the Courtiers of Vere.

Damen hoped his pet will not want to do any of that with him. He would not confess it even to himself, but he was a little scared of his pet. From what he had heard, pets were the exact opposite of the quiet, submissive charm of slaves.

The fifth course came too early. A group of servants placed pretty plates stacked high with some mouthwatering delicacy in front of the royal family, and then the others. Damen was sitting on his father's right, who was looking quite healthy that night. Damen never thought he was going to search health in his father's appearance, but here they were. Kastor, sitting on the King's left, sometimes threw worried glances in his direction.

A small bell sounded, and thirteen pets marched into the hall.


	2. The First Encounter

Laurent had a plan.

Well, the rough outline of a plan.

On the ship there had been twelve pets. All of them had recognised him immediately. Some of them laughed, some of them settled for condescending glances but none of them were sympathetic at all. Laurent had thought it only fair - why would any pet have warm feelings towards the frigid, wayward Prince who has just been cast out of the Court?

The only pet who showed something towards him other than hate had been Nicaise. Laurent was puzzled by the boy's presence. Has the Regent already found a new pet? Was Nicaise too old? Nicaise wouldn't answer any of his questions directly, but by his bitter comebacks and telling silences, Laurent figured the Regent thought sending him off to Akielos was a convenient way of disposing of his pet.

His escape - taking place while they were changing ships - had been a half failure. Though he hadn't managed to escape, thanks to an incident, he had won the approval of the pets. He had used this newlyfound trust to make the pets swear they will not reveal his true identity to the Akielons and in turn, promised to take care of them and do his best to get them out of there. He told them they were either with Laurent or with the Regent. The Regent had thrown them into the Akielon Court. Laurent was going to get them out.

The pets were generally brave and daring but they were rightfully afraid of the barbaric Akielons. No one could tell what kinds of sadistic tortures they came up with during the centuries they had been keeping slaves, who were never able to say no.

Some of the pets seemed not entirely loyal to Laurent though. Laurent understood why. His little adventure got him the pets' approval but not necessarily their loyalty. The Regent must have sent some of them here with a specific purpose. Laurent made a mental note to keep an eye on the suspicious ones.

Now he stood separated from the others, surrounded by guards, waiting to be introduced. He wore a dark blue chiton with golden embroidery at the hem, Nicaise's sapphire earring in his right ear, and a slave braided part of his hair in some intricate pattern. He even wore paint. They lined his eyes with kohl, covered his collarbone with some sparkling golden cream, and painted his lips the exact colour of his nipples. The last one Laurent found quite disturbing.

Laurent knew he was to be a personal gift to his brother's killer. Some eerie excitement had possessed him; he could hardly wait to see him in person. Laurent entertained himself for years imagining how he will kill that man and avenge his brother. Now, that this prospect came almost hurtingly close, his feet itched to just run up to him, and stab his dinner knife in his heart.

But he couldn't. He had to stick to his plan. The first step was mapping out the Akielon Court. Who hated whom secretly, who cheated whom, and such things. The second was to make the people like him. Trust him, not expect him or any of the pets to have ill intentions towards the royal family.

And at the end of the plan, at a step number that was not pronounced yet, stood killing Damianos, the prince-killer.  
___

When the pets entered the dining hall, the entire atmosphere changed.

They were so unusual, so different from slaves. A slave would never draw attention to him- or herself, but the pets were designed to catch your attention and hold it for a long time. All of them looked different. They were dressed in different silks, their bodies adorned with different jewellery. They also differed in age and body type. The youngest one must have been around thirteen, the oldest thirty. Some of them were lean, their bones almost showed, others were athletic or almost as muscular as Damen, and one of the women had the biggest bosom Damen had ever seen.

At first, Damen didn't know where to look. His gaze jumped from a necklace to a flash of blond to a pretty hand to a really short chiton. Eventually, he realized his eyes kept going back to one of them. It was the young boy, the too young boy. If Damen wanted to lie to himself - and at this point he did -, he would have said this pet was actually around seventeen, just possessed a very boyish build. But if Damen wanted to be honest, he would have to say the oldest this boy could have been was fourteen.

Damen looked around the room, and saw some courtiers throw disapproving glances in the pets' direction. Some of them were pointing fingers at the boy, others laughed loudly, probably on a dirty joke.

He looked to his left, to his father and Kastor. The King looked rather stoic. He told them previously that he did not intend to use the pets. He was willing to make a peace treaty with the Veretians, but he won't let them even into his household, especially into his bed. He told them he will let Kastor and Damen choose six each. That was a nice gesture, since Kastor originally wasn't gifted anything, even though he helped a lot with the treaty. When receiving the news of the gift, their father was ready to take it as an offense, but surprisingly, it was Kastor who soothed him. "There's no need for anger," he said. "I'm a bastard and Veretians hate that. It would be too much to ask from them to even acknowledge my existence."

Kastor, judging from the look in his face, had now the same reaction as Damen. He looked appalled and his eyes were restless, as if trying to take the pets all in at once and failing helplessly.

Finally, one of the servants spoke up and the chatter in the room died.

"Exalted Ones," he began, "these pets are a gift from the King of Vere to honour the peace between Akielons and Veretians. He says twelve of them are a gift to the King who helped forge peace between their nations. The thirteenth one is a special gift to add to the harem of the Crown Prince. The King said, when choosing him, they took his... tastes into consideration."

One of the pets stepped forward, and several people whistled and shouted. Damen understood that. What he didn't understand though was how he managed to look past this beauty. The pet had silver hair and sea-eyes. His favourite combination. The young man looked around twenty, nearing the peak of his beauty. He was somewhat muscled but looked androgynous with his long hair and soft facial features. He bowed, elegantly arranging his limbs.

The courtiers went silent and Damen realised they were expecting a reaction from him.

"I must say the King chose well," was all he said, and it was more than enough. The hall filled with good natured laughter. Damen was glad and relieved his people liked him so much it was enough for him to say something like this for them to laugh. He definitely was not a man of words.

They ordered the pets to come over to the tables where the royal family and the kyroi sat. Not all of them showed up, some still resented Veretians enough to deny the invitation to the banquet. But only two of the kyroi were absent, which Damen considered a win. Nikandros was here too, and he grew wide-eyed when a long red-haired man climbed into his lap.

Damen waved over the blond one gifted to him. He stepped closer, stopping next to Damen's chair. Up close, he looked even more breathtaking. Strands of his blonde hair came loose from his braid, his marble skin was the fairest colour Damen has ever seen, and his blue chiton matched his eyes perfectly. With his pretty face - high cheekbones, arched eyebrows, straight nose, dark eyelashes, and full lips - he looked like he stepped out of a fairytale. As a kid, Damen was in love with a fair-haired, blue-eyed prince from one of the fairytales. But he would never confess that to anyone.

"Do you want to sit?" Damen asked, with a small gesture to his lap. It wasn't meant to be anything sexual, people sat slaves on their lap all the time, a sign of adoration and care. The pet drew in a sharp breath and something in his eyes shined strangely. Damen retrieved immediately, he knew hesitance when he saw it. It didn't matter; they had all the time in the world to grow to like each other. In the end, Damen always conquered everyone's heart, even Jokaste's.

He called for a chair, and within seconds, a slave brought one. The pet sat down on it with the same elegance he had bowed. His back was straight, his shoulders clenched, the signs of nervousness, but he turned towards Damen with his whole body, which Damen hoped meant some kind of trust, readiness, or at least curiosity.

"What's your name?" he asked in Veretian. "You probably know that I'm Damianos. You can call me Damen," he added with a hospitable smile.

"I have two names," the pet began, and Damen already interrupted him:

"I have never heard of such a thing! Is it common in Vere?"

"It is, amongst pets," he said. He had a clear, smooth voice. It made Damen wonder if he could sing. He definitely had to learn his favourite battle poems. "We rarely know our parents, so we can't use their names. It's also useful - if a master doesn't like one of our names, he can just use the other. Your... Exalted."

Damen had to laugh at Veretians and their weird loopholes. "And what are your two names?"

"My first name is Estienne, the second is Laurent, Exalted."

There was a pause. Damen swallowed. The people near them were eavesdropping; now they went silent.

"Ah, I see," Damen said. They received news about the dead Crown Prince little over a week ago. Prince Laurent had been kidnapped from his own bedchamber, and his body had been found three days later. They didn't know the specifics, but it was only a question of time. Nikandros's spies were already on the case. "Which of your names would you like me to call you?"

"Usually, I go by Laurent," the pet said. "But if it upsets you, you can call me Estienne or anything other that pleases you."

"Then it pleases me to call you Laurent, if that's what you like to go by. I never knew the Prince anyways," Damen said, lying a little, then something occurred to him. "Did you?"

"I had only been in Court for a brief time before I came here. I have only seen him from afar."

"And how was he?"

"Stubborn. Distant. I heard he never took lovers."

Damen made a face at that. He knew better than to believe gossip, especially Veretian gossip. He didn't want to believe that. Even if the spies told that too. The next course was placed on the table, and their attention turned to the food.

At the seventh - or eighth? it was difficult to keep count - course, Damen noticed that Laurent was staring intensely at the other side of the table. He followed his gaze. Around the table, people were enjoying themselves, some of the kyroi had a pet in their lap, and King Theomedes let them have their fun. It was an exceptional event, after all. Lord Diogenes blushed down to his neck, when the pet in his lap turned to face him. Nikandros, like Damen, made a servant bring a chair, which disappointed the redhead next to him very much.

After some search, he finally found what Laurent had been looking at.

It was Kastor, and the young boy. They were deep in discussion. The boy sat on a chair too, and looked annoyed, but otherwise unharmed.

"Don't worry about my brother," Damen told Laurent. "He has an orphanage in Ios. He's probably trying to convince the boy to go there instead of staying here. He's good with kids, all the orphans love him. And from what I've heard, they receive good maintenance and education."

"Too bad Nicaise isn't the type to enjoy that anymore," the pet said dryly.  
___

It was after midnight when the banquet was over. King Theomedes didn't let the kyroi take the pets into bed, and at least three of them looked relieved at that. Damen thought it was no wonder. These pets were more of a handful than their attentive slaves.

Theomedes himself retired to his bedroom with a medical slave, and Damen and Kastor were free to pick from the pets. They decided it was time to determine who took which one. Both of them could have six, plus Damen had Laurent. They did it quickly. It hardly mattered, which pet went to which household - the princes had a well-known habit of sharing lovers between each other. They both chose three men and three women (with unsurprisingly, Kastor taking the boy and Damen taking the red-haired one; Nikandros will be grateful for that, however shy he acted in company).

Damen didn't try to take Laurent into his bed; it was clear, he wouldn't enjoy that. He took a male and a female pet into his bedroom, and let the events of the night unfold.


	3. It Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small note: thank you all for your kudos and the views!! I didn't anticipate this story to be liked this much. <3

Perhaps it would have been ideal to look eager to please Damianos - Laurent refused to think of him as 'Damen' - but Laurent just couldn't bring himself to do it. Even in this twisted situation, he had more dignity than that, and the idea turned his stomach.

He resolved to blending in, behaving provocatively as the pets did. Only, his provocativeness was different than the others'. The other pets were provocative because of their ungodly amount of jewellery and paint and their explicit offers. These Akielon prudes just didn't know what to do with them, especially their overseers. Laurent only wore simple, but embroidered chitons and never made an offer to anyone. Especially not to his master. He caused frenzy by simply being a bitch.

He wasn't quiet about how he resented slavery, and always had a sharp comeback for anyone trying to reason with him. He complained about how badly decorated the rooms were. But he took care not to hurt the Akielons themselves, because later he will need their sympathy. It was hard, especially since every day he grow more and more frustrated.

After the banquet, Damianos never invited him to his rooms, he didn't even ask how he was via some messenger. The Crown Prince seemed to have his hands full with princely obligations to keep him busy by day and slaves to keep him busy by night. Laurent had to grab his attention somehow.

Apart from that, Laurent had no reason to complain. Along with the other pets, he was placed in Damianos's slave quarters. They could have taken that as an offense, but they had their separate hallway, their separate dining room, baths, lounge and garden, so they didn't mix with the slaves. They all had their own small bedrooms, and they were served by servants, not slaves. If they requested it, they were usually allowed to go in the palace wherever they wanted - with a guard.

The pets were bored out of their minds.

Damianos had bedded three pets total, but the last time he called for one was eight days ago, and he wouldn't loan them out to anyone, however great the interest was among the courtiers.

Well, except for one.

Ancel, who always seemed to go for the men with the most power, laid eyes on the Crown Prince instantly, so he was thrilled when he selected him. But the Prince made no advances towards him. It soon turned out why. On their fourth day in Ios, Ancel was summoned to go to Lord Nikandros's chambers. Laurent didn't forget that Nikandros was the man Ancel tried to seduce the first night. He was the first one - and later they realised, the only one - who was allowed to have a taste of Damianos's presents outside the banquet. Laurent figured, that must mean the two men were close. Probably old friends.

At first, Ancel felt insulted. He said they threw him before a random courtier, because the Prince was too egoistic to lower himself to the level of pets. That wasn't true. He said he wanted to prove himself to the Prince. That wasn't very likely to happen, especially if he declined the summoning. Laurent explained to him what he thought of the situation, and managed to convince Ancel to go to Nikandros after all. Laurent hoped this will be a message to Damianos that pets were not only good for causing chaos (though that was what they were the best at). And a spy on the border was not a bad thing. They were to leave Ios in a few days.

But there they were, more than two weeks had passed since their arrival, and they were wasting away. The moment the pets would spice up a conversation among courtspeople, the guards removed them. They were not allowed to have fun.

Also, it was difficult to get news of the other pets. They probably hated having to answer to a bastard. All Laurent knew was snippets caught when two pets from the two places met accidentally, and exchanged stories. These stories said they were well taken care of, but handled even more strictly. They were rarely allowed to go outside their quarters and Kastor has taken none of them to bed. The only pet he has shown interest in was Nicaise, which troubled Laurent. Damianos might have said Kastor only wanted to send Nicaise off to an orphanage but he could easily have lied. It was unlikely that the Crown Prince would tell a Veretian pet about his paedophiliac bastard brother the first night they met.

Finally, when Laurent threw his breakfast across the room, and demanded to see the Crown Prince, he got a reaction. He was scheduled to meet him that afternoon.  
___

"Exalted, the pet-"

"Laurent."

"-is here."

"Come on in."

He had never been in Damianos's rooms, but he had imagined the place a thousand times. They were just like he expected. The dominant materials were white marble and wood, the only décor some gold adorning an edge here and there. He met Laurent in what seemed to be a lounge room, with a desk before an opening to the balcony. Probably not his only balcony. He set behind the desk, and in the bright afternoon light, for a second Laurent could only see his silhouette.

He looked like one of those immortal monsters Laurent used to have nightmares about as a child.

Damianos stood, and walked over to a sofa. He sat, and then gestured for Laurent to take his seat on the opposite one. Laurent wordlessly did so. He didn't try to sway his hips or move so part of his chiton revealed more flesh than it was meant to reveal; he had decided long ago, that was not going to be his strategy.

Instead of pretending he behaved like that only absentmindedly, like some pets did, he did everything with determination. Each of his movements had a purpose, which were clear for Damianos to understand. The way he walked straight to the sofa, without looking around, showed he was not interested in anything Akielos had to offer. But then he sat down, with one leg crossing the other and one arm rested on the frame, thus revealing his torso and some of his thighs. He forced a neutral, but open expression on his face. He did not seem to be interested in Akielos, but he did seem to be interested in its Crown Prince.

"So," Damianos began in Veretian. "Laurent, right?" Laurent gave a little nod. "I hear you demanded to see me. On what matter?"

"I believe there's no point in dancing around the issue," Laurent said in Akielon. "We feel neglected."

Damianos arched his eyebrows. "I didn't know you can speak Akielon."

"How do you think I communicated with the servants?" Laurent countered. "The pets know some Akielon too; I tutored them on the ship here."

"Well, good to know. Let us go back to the original matter. Would you care to elaborate? You were provided with everything you could ever want."

"I don't know how familiar you are with Veretian customs. In Arles, we were free. Having fun. Talking to people. Fucking people or get fucked by people. Here, we are always watched by guards, and if one of us dares to make a dirty joke, he is escorted back to our quarters. Our... how should I say it... purpose is, to be harsh and attention-catching."

Damianos sighed. He opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, but said nothing, just blinked a few times. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"So you want to live like common prostitutes in a tavern?"

"Technically, we are prostitutes. And we lead a far more luxurious life than the ones in taverns. Oh, on that note, I need new clothes; I have grown bored of my old ones."

Damianos scoffed in disbelief. "Aren't pets only supposed to receive gifts after they performed a task?"

Laurent rolled his eyes. "Of course you know that part. But if you won't let us actually do things, what are we supposed to do? Sit around and read? You can't be that ignorant."

"The slaves always find ways to occupy themselves."

"That is because slaves have duties," Laurent said. The Prince really was ignorant. How should he explain something that was so natural in Arles? He never liked pets much, but he cared about the ones who were brought here, and he wanted them to have lives as similar to the ones they had in the palace as possible. Apparently, this meant attempting to reason with a barbarian. "People summon slaves all the time to do all kinds of different tasks. What they don't have is a free will, so they will never complain about or realise how miserable their lives are, but that is a topic for another time."

"Right. I understand," the Prince said. Laurent doubted he actually understood. "Are you a spokesperson for all of my pets?"

"Yes."

Damianos thought for a bit. "I suggest we make an agreement. How about I let the courtiers and the pets mix, as you said, have fun, and the guards will not be right next to them, but rather following them from a distance. Maybe they can even go to courtiers beds."

"What about you?" asked Laurent in a completely different tone to the one he used so far, and put his other hand in his lap while slumping his shoulders, and putting on a nervous face. A poor, lonely pet waiting for his doom. He still resented the idea of seeking the love of the Crown Prince, but for his plan to work, he needed to be at least in his favour.

Damianos sat up in surprise. He looked at Laurent, really, truly seizing him up, and smiling.

"Do you want me?" surprisingly enough, that question was asked by Damianos. "You seemed pained by my very existence when we met."

That was because Laurent was pained by his very existence.

"I would rather say I was a bit afraid."

"Afraid?"

"In Vere, everyone knows about Damianos the prince-killer." It hurt to say the last word. It was the first time Laurent said it aloud in front of Damianos, that he killed his brother. "They say you are merciless, you are a slave owner, who takes advantage of people without a second thought. And, that you mostly prefer women. No wonder I was so nervous, especially when I saw you."

The Prince sighed, and rested his arm on the back of his sofa.

"And what do you think of me now?"

"I have not had the chance to get to know you," Laurent said. Damianos remained silent, so he added, "But I would like to. I have seen that your household likes you very much. There must be a reason."

Laurent was indeed very curious why his household adored the Prince so much. Laurent, personally, could find nothing likeable in him.

"Fine," Damianos said. "How about you serve me at dinner tonight?"

"That would be a good start."  
___

Kastor's slave was refilling Damen's cup, when his brother said, "I have heard some very interesting things about your special pet."

It was an hour after Laurent left Damen's solar. He came over to see Kastor and just talk, as they did every few days for years. Now, with their father's illness, these events were rarer and rarer when they should have been more and more frequent. They were lying on sofas, the traditional way to spend light meals in Akielos. Wine and fruits were served by two slaves.

But now, Damen could not enjoy it truly. He was still bitter about Jokaste. She misunderstood Kastor, and would not see reason. In the end, Damen had to kick her out of the court.

"Do you," Damen said without an ounce of belief in his voice.

"Yes, I do." Kastor shifted in his sofa, so he could place his goblet on the low table between them. "Originally, I only wanted to gather a general idea on what's it like in the Veretian Court. I spoke with the kid - his name is Nicaise, by the way - several times, and he turned out to be full of gossip. I still haven't given up on the idea of placing him in the orphanage in Ios, or at least getting him a private tutor, but he declined every time I offered, quite vehemently. Then, perhaps to prove he belongs with the pets, he started to tell me gossip about the others."

"Can't say he has a mind for strategy," Damen pointed out. "Telling secrets of the Veretian Court to an Akielon Prince."

"Actually, he has. All of the stories were about pets and scandals, but none of them contained actual politically useful information. I did have several great laughs though. He has the mouth of a sailor."

Damen scoffed. "So, what did he tell you about Laurent?"

Kastor's lips curled. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Damen motioned his hand in a way, as if to say 'Go ahead.'

"So, Laurent. His name was suspicious, he said that himself. According to Nicaise, he made a carrier from looking similar to the Crown Prince of Vere. The Prince had blonde hair, blue eyes and a pretty face, but he never took lovers. Nicaise claimed to know he had uh, problems down there." At that idea, neither of them could help but laugh. Of course the Veretian Court went around discussing the sex life of the second man in their country. "Everyone in Court desired him. The guards, the courtiers, the guests from abroad. So your Laurent decided to take advantage of his looks. Nicaise said he looks like a prettier version of the Prince. He didn't know where his carrier started, he said probably in an inn or a brothel in Arles, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that he arrived to the Court on the side of one of the wealthiest lords, dressed in blue, wearing starburst jewellery. He was everyone's wet dream come true. Easily, he became the most popular pet of the Court."

"Didn't the Prince find this an offense?" Damen wondered. In Akielos, impersonating the Crown Prince and parading about as a prostitute would be punished by decapitation.

"Surprisingly, no. When your pet appeared, the suitors left the Prince alone, for which he was thankful enough not to ban the other from Court. Nicaise added, he didn't have the balls to stand up for himself, neither metaphorically, nor literally."

"Oh dear," was all Damen said.

They ate and drank for a while in silence, both lost in their thoughts. He suspected that Laurent was a popular pet in Arles; after all, he was a gift given specifically to the Crown Prince of Akielos. But when he actually spoke to him, both at the banquet and in his solar, Laurent did not have the attitude of other pets. He did have a mouth on him, but he lacked the flirtatious movements and gestures of the other pets. Maybe he simply didn't need them? Maybe it was part of his style? Damen shook his head, and instead asked,

"How are your pets doing? Laurent came to me complaining this afternoon that they feel neglected. He said they were bored. So far I have held them on a pretty tight leash, because I didn't want potential spies in the favours of my courtiers. Do you think I made the wrong choice?"

"No," Kastor answered. He emptied his cup, and held it out for a slave to refill. "You made the most logical choice. These pets should learn that they are not in Vere anymore, where they can go around causing trouble to amuse themselves. You made a decision anyone would have made in your place, and you shouldn't let a spoiled pet's words get in your head."

Damen smiled. He was thankful to have a brother like this. Kastor always helped him when he asked for his opinion on any matter from politics to swordsmanship to romance. And so far, most of his advice seemed to be efficient.

"I said I'll tell their guards to keep some distance, and that I'll perhaps let them couple with courtiers. Was it too much?"

Kastor tilted his head. "Well, it is a big step, but this would have come about eventually. Now we can see how they behave when they are given some freedom. See how much we can trust them. Perhaps amuse ourselves with their so-called scandals."

"Laurent is going to serve me at dinner tonight."

"Oh," Kastor said slowly, "he seems to be good at getting what he wants."


	4. Desserts and Chess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who didn't upload on time? Yes, it's me!  
> (Also, when I'm updating this, there are 420 views on this work. N i c e.)

The dinner was nowhere near as extravagant as the ones in Vere, but Laurent hasn't seen a real court dinner in a long time. It felt good to finally be in a courtly environment nonetheless.

As Laurent learned, public dinners in Akielos were rare. They were normally held once in a moon month. People usually ate in small groups in their chambers. Everyone received the same meal, with small modifications to appeal to their tastes. The pets made their servants furnish a dining room for them, so they can eat together in the Veretian fashion.

Laurent did not actually serve Damianos. The Crown Prince sat on the right of the King's empty chair, with Laurent next to him, and Lord Nikandros and Ancel following. The two pets sometimes exchanged a look, for instance when Damianos asked Laurent if he wants to feed him, and Laurent's answer was a sharp no.

The dinner consisted of three courses. The first one was a soup made of some fish, the second one the meat of the ox that - as it turned out - Damianos killed yesterday on a hunt. Laurent didn't even know Damianos had been on a hunt. The meals did not win Laurent's approval, mostly because they were not spicy enough. In Vere, everything was heavily spiced, and after eating like that for twenty years, Laurent felt Akielon dishes were flavourless. Except for the desserts. After spending two weeks in the palace, the kitchen servants knew Laurent loved their cakes and sugary doughs and sugary fruits, so they always prepared an extra portion for him. It seemed word got around amongst the kitchen servants, because now the slaves placed two slices of peach cake in front of Laurent.

"You have a sweet tooth?" asked Damianos, smiling. Laurent wanted to punch him in the face for making small talk again, then punch himself in the face for getting irritated by something he will have to endure for months.

"Yes. After I praised Akielon desserts so much, they started giving me double portions."

"Which is your favourite?" During the entire dinner, Damianos only spoke to him in Veretian, as if he assumed Laurent's Akielon was too limited to talk about food, despite having a long conversation with him in Akielon just a few hours before. He spoke in Veretian now, too.

"Rice pudding, without a doubt. We do not have anything like that in Vere."

"Have you tried baklava? Nowadays I prefer salty food, but that was my childhood favourite. I bet you would like it."

"No, I haven't. Is it like the other cakes? Like the one we're eating?"

"Not really," said Damianos, then turned to a slave who was waiting for him to... to do anything, frankly. "Tell the cooks Laurent is to have baklava for dessert tomorrow." He almost let the slave go, but then added, "Wait, no. Bring Laurent the scheduled dessert _and_ baklava."

The slave beamed at the attention he was receiving. He bowed, and rushed away. Laurent rolled his eyes.

"And what do you like besides sweets?" Damianos seemed to think he has just achieved a breakthrough by discovering Laurent's sweet tooth. Now, Laurent presumed, he won't shut up.

"I like chess," he said slowly. He fabricated a life already for his pet alter ego, but still he had to be careful not to misstep. He knew Damianos is going to truly like him only if he shared his earlier life with him. "One of my first masters, a merchant taught me to play."

"Wonderful!" Damianos's eyes lighted up. "I love chess. No one has beaten me in three years. Are you any good?"

"Oh, I am. No one has beaten me since I was fourteen," Laurent countered, with a challenging edge in his voice.

"We have to play a match. I'll send for you in two or three days. Be ready."

"Not that I have anything else to do," Laurent rolled his eyes.

___

The following day, a servant knocked on Laurent's door. It was early in the afternoon (the baklava for lunch had been delicious), and the sun was cruelly hot, so Laurent spent this time of the day in the privacy of his own room, reading a book.

Laurent had been to the palace library several times at this point. Its high ceiling was made of glass, and there were various plants in pots everywhere. The place was vast, and filled with rows and rows of bookshelves. Being in the Akielon library almost felt like being in a greenhouse. Laurent loved it. Back in Vere, the palace library had been a crowded, airless place. Only scribes and Laurent went there. It had several reading nooks, but all of them were too dark, so Laurent switched to read in the gardens. He just had to find an empty coupling nook, and he would spend hours reading, surrounded by nature. The sun here was hotter though, so Laurent only went there in the early morning or late afternoon.

"Come in," Laurent said now. He was sitting on his bed, resting his back against the headboard, his legs stretched, sandals still on them. He didn't put his book down, when the servant cautiously stepped in the room. Laurent was not surprised, after he had thrown his food across the room yesterday.

She had a small box in her hand.

"A gift from Exalted Crown Prince Damianos," she announced.

"A gift?" Laurent arched one eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Put it on the table."

The servant did so, and disappeared behind the door. Laurent put his book down, marking where he was, and got up to walk to the table. He took the box in his hands, and inspected it. It was a simple box, made of dark wood, with no decoration. Laurent was curious what lay inside; he opened the box, and took out its contents.

It was two chitons, both made of coloured silk. The first one was dark blue, a similar colour to his eyes. Laurent already had one similar, except this one was designed so that it left one of his shoulders and nipple uncovered. Laurent could not see himself wearing this. Ever. He picked up the second one, and discovered that it was red. In Vere, Laurent never wore red. It was the Regency's colour. In Akielos, it was the colour of the King and the Crown Prince both. Laurent sighed, and held up the chiton, so he could look at the embroidery at its hem in a better light...

That was when he realised, it wasn't exactly red. He furrowed his brows. The cloth was a shade of red, but darker than the Regency's red. While the Regency's red was the bright colour of freshly spilt blood, the colour of the Akielon royalty was a more muted wine. Laurent felt surprised that he liked that. Ever since he was thirteen, the colour red bore the mark of his Uncle, and he always thought of him when he saw red.

Now that he was in a foreign country, surrounded by a different shade of red, maybe will be able to alter his thoughts.

___

Damianos sent for him three days after the dinner.

Laurent hesitated on what to wear. He did not have much time. In Vere, a pet might make his master wait for them, so they could later appear packed with silks, jewellery and paint. In Akielos, when someone sent for you, you had to throw everything, leave whatever you were doing, and come as fast as you could.

That is precisely why intended on making Damianos wait.

He knew wearing one of his gifts would please Damianos. The blue chiton was out of question, it revealed far more skin than what Laurent was comfortable with. If he could, he would have asked to wear closed, Veretian garments, but it would just undermine his role as a pet. (And give him a heatstroke in hours.) He decided to wear the red one. It felt a bit odd. Laurent has never seen chitons made of silk; the Akielons preferred cotton, just as Laurent did himself. He did not like the feel of silk on his body - it was too light and airy. Damianos probably gifted him silk ones because pets wore silk all the time.

The day after they arrived, the master of the slaves let them choose whatever jewellery they wanted from one of the slaves’ dressing rooms, and let them keep them, as a sign of goodwill. He did it gritting his teeth, so probably, not as a sign of his personal goodwill. Laurent usually never wore any kind of jewellery, but that night he knew if he had to run away suddenly, all the money he would have would be his jewels. Now, after rummaging through his collection, he chose the single earring he won from Nicaise in a bet on the way to Akielos. It might bring him luck.

When the servant announced him, and he was let into the Prince's lounge, he stopped halfway through the door.

Damianos stood on the balcony and was arguing with someone. That person was not on the balcony but rather in the gardens underneath. He was leaning far down on the balustrade and shouting in Akielon; his distorted words Laurent did not understand. He discreetly coughed, to which Damianos replied 'Just a minute, please, sit down," in Akielon, and went back to shouting.

Laurent sat down on a sofa, and noticed that a chessboard was prepared on the edge of the table between the two sofas. A female slave poured him some wine in a golden goblet. Laurent rarely drank, but he liked Akielon wine. It tasted richer, sweeter. The servant who brought him food said it was because Akielos lied on the South and therefore the sun here was more intense.

Laurent glanced at the woman. She was young, probably around twenty. She had light brown hair and fairer skin than what was common in Akielos. She wore no paint or jewellery but thin golden collars around her neck and wrists. The material her chiton was made out of was thin as a veil; one could see her breasts through it.

Starting to feel pity at the woman and anger at the whole country, Laurent shifted his gaze to Damianos. He was still ignoring him.

Laurent lifted his cup, and without taking a sip from the wine, he dropped the goblet on the marble floor. The sound of impact was loud enough to startle the slave and make Damianos turn. Laurent caught his gaze and lifted one eyebrow.

The slave brought a towel to clean up the mess, and Damianos finally excused himself. He stopped to caress the scared slave's face and whisper something to her, then walked over to the other sofa.

"Do you happen to have a passion for throwing things?" he asked politely.

"No," was all Laurent said, keeping eye contact with the Prince. Damianos sighed, and sat down.

"I apologise for not coming to you immediately," he began. "You took your time, and I figured I might as well make myself useful."

"What were you doing that was so important?" asked Laurent cynically.

"Actually, we were talking about the games to be held two months from now. They are still far, but when it comes to organising things, you always have to be ready weeks early and have solutions ready for any situation."

Laurent remained silent. He knew the feeling. He felt like this when he fought with his Uncle. So, all the time, day and night. However, organising games was a little easier than fighting through Veretian politics.

The slave brought him a new cup, and filled it. Laurent thanked her quietly.

"Besides, I wanted to test you."

That sentence took Laurent off guard. Whatever would Damianos want to test him in? How long can he wait before he throws something?

"The other pets I met always came to me, no matter where I was in the room and what I told them."

"I'm not like other pets."

“I'm starting to see that."

A few moments of silence passed.

"What other pets?" Laurent couldn't help asking. As far he knew, Damianos took two the night they arrived, one later, and informally gave Ancel to Lord Nikandros. He took another one the following week but that was it.

"Are you jealous?" the Prince asked with a pleased smile, lifting his cup to his lips.

Laurent almost said no. He was not the least bit jealous of anyone who bedded this freak. He just wanted to know why did Damianos claim to know other pets so well. He spoke as if he had met far more than three.

"Yes," he said finally. Damianos lifted his eyebrows.

"In that case, I met some at Kastor's." With that, Laurent was taken aback the second time in then minutes. He did not like it. "There's always at least one lurking around his chambers. They are so unbelievably daring," he said, clearly amazed. "I barely come through the door, and they are flying at me with their explicit offers."

"I thought Kastor kept them on a tight leash."

Damianos went silent. He regarded Laurent, from the top of his head, to his toes. He leaned forward.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course I can," Laurent answered in a hushed tone, also leaning forward.

"Kastor wants everyone to believe what you said. But in reality, he lets them take over his life. He says it's to try and get secrets out of them, but I think we both know it's not just that. He actually plays a game with them. He bedded at least half of them, but to each one, he said they are the only one he bedded so far. Of course I would never think of such a thing, but if he finds it amusing... He says the pets like it too. They feel special and accomplished."

Laurent let out a laugh. He listened to the story wide-eyed, and more and more disbelieving as it progressed. It seemed so unlikely that any Akielon would pull such a prank with pets from Vere. Especially, if they were a diplomatic gift. But after all, Kastor was a bastard. Trickery and wickedness ran in his veins. Deep down, Laurent was sorry he did not think of something similar himself.

When he looked at Damianos again, he was looking back at him, smiling.

"What?"

"You have a pretty laugh."

That erased the smile from Laurent’s face. Before the Prince could notice, he changed the topic.

"Is that chessboard prepared for me? Last time it wasn't there."

"Yes, it is. Would you like to play?" answered Damianos excitedly. _Like a child,_ Laurent thought.

"Very much," Laurent said honestly. During his childhood, chess used to be his favourite activity. His brother taught him to play. Laurent never got the chance to defeat August in chess. Now, he never will. His chest tightened, but he forced himself to ignore the feeling.

"Where did you learn to play?" Damianos asked, while placing the board between them, and adjusting the places of the pieces.

"My first master taught me. He was a merchant, and thought it important to have a cultured pet. I could play chess before I could read."

Damianos leaned back, still smiling. "Which one do you choose?"

"The black will be fine," Laurent said. That did not require turning the board, so Damianos immediately reached for a white pawn, and moved it. Laurent made his countermove. Damianos moved another pawn, Laurent did too, and then the Prince began to move his other pieces. He came forward with a bishop, to which Laurent answered with a horse.

It went on for a while. After Damianos killed one of Laurent's pawns, making him the first one to lose a piece, he asked:

"Do you know Akielon because of him?" So far they have been speaking in Veretian, just like at dinner three days ago.

"No," Laurent said, not tearing his eyes from the chessboard. "I was born in Delfeur. After Marlas, my father and I made our way to Arran, then Ladehors."

"Oh," said Damianos, visibly surprised. "I thought you were born in Arles."

"Why would you think that?" Laurent asked.

"One of the pets told Kastor so. It was the boy, Ni... uh-"

"Nicaise."

"Him. He said you could make such a great carreer only because you were born in the capital."

Laurent rolled his eyes. Of course Nicaise would try to undermine him, even when they were so far from the Regent, and supposedly allies. He could have found a more clever way though, than to mess with his backstory.

"Don't believe a thing he says. He is just jealous and loves lying."

"Noted," said the Prince, and moved his horse.

After this, no conversation began again. They were greatly invested in the game, and Laurent was happy he did not have to make small talk with his brother's killer. For a long time, Laurent has not encountered a worthy opponent in chess. No one in Vere had the dedication the game required. He hated to admit that the man in front of him was almost as good as him.

The game went on for hours. Both of them took their time before moving a piece, not rushing their decisions. Even though Damianos had made the first kill, he did not try to take all of Laurent's pieces, unless it was safe for him to do so. Laurent recognised his strategy - he was trying to keep as many pieces as he could but they both knew that in an intense match, you likely lost at least four fifths of your pieces. Laurent was used to playing with a small amount of chess pieces, both in the game and in life. Damianos carefully taking his pieces one by one did not bother him in the slightest. He knew he would win.

The game ended, when the setting sun started to paint the horizon red and orange. Both of them were staring at the board, at first unable to recognise the game has ended after so many hours. But it was over, the king could not move one step.

Damianos sat back, and stretched.

"Well, it was a great match, thank you. I'm surprised, I haven't had such a cunning opponent in a while." He stood up, and walked over to his desk, where a pitcher of wine was waiting for them. "Do you want some?" he asked in a light tone.

Laurent didn't answer. He could not believe it. He could not believe that Damianos had won. He just sat there, staring at the board in disbelief.

At last, Damianos turned.

"Are you angry because you lost?" he inquired, and Laurent willed himself to look at him. He was reluctant to acknowledge that there was no pity or condescend in his eyes, just pure wondering and a bit of guilt.

"Shocked would be a better word," Laurent said slowly. He stood, and walked up to Damianos. "I recognise my mistake now. Pour me a cup."

"Oh, is that so? And what was it?" said the man, while pouring him wine in a golden cup.

"I underestimated you. It will not happen again."

Damianos handed Laurent the cup. "Does that mean there will be other matches?"

"Of course there will be."


	5. An Offer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the ~real plot~ begins.

Laurent felt accomplished.

They let the pets roam around as they pleased, and it did not take long for one of them to catch a courtier's eye. It was Julien, who managed to get into his bed in two days. It was already a strong start, and it made the pets start a competition and place bets on who could get someone the fastest to bend them over. They seemed satisfied with their current situation, as a luxurious lifestyle was guaranteed for them, they could order slaves and servants around, and they did not have to fear losing their appeal and ending up on the street.

The Akielons liked to say pets loved scandals. To an extent, that was true. In Vere, they liked to stick their noses into things that were not their business or making a scene, but that was far from anything truly scandalous in Vere. (The only scandalous thing in the palace was the frigid Crown Prince.) Pets knew Veretian politics very well and navigated it like an experienced sailor navigates the sea. Here, in Akielos, they knew nothing. Nobody trusted them, and so they could not know how far they can go, or who they can tease without losing their heads. So they reserved themselves. Just being a pet was more than enough a reason to turn a head here. If all the pets had one common hidden talent, it was the ability to adjust to any kind of situation.

Laurent’s six-person spy network had worked without error so far. All of them told him the King's condition is worsening day by day. Three of them separately reported that Kastor was planning something against Damianos. He had supporters, mostly of medium-level importance. None of the kyroi was amongst them. Laurent had to deal with that. He didn't want anyone interfering with his plans to kill Damianos.

Currently, Laurent was comfortably sitting under a large tree's shadow, his back resting against the trunk. His ankles crossed, and a book in his lap, he thought, it was a perfect way to test how eager the Akielon people were to get to know the famous pets. Surely, one reading under a tree won't be as interesting as the other ones sprawled on the grass a short walk away.

However, it took only a few minutes before someone stopped before him. Laurent lifted his eyes from his book, to see a muscled calf, then a chiton of actually decent length, then a royal pin, then a bearded face. It was Kastor.

Laurent stood up, and made a brief bow. He did not speak; he was too curious to know how Kastor would begin. He had never spoken with him.

"Are you Laurent?"

"Yes, Exalted," Laurent said.

"I want to speak to you. Let us take a walk in the garden."

He did not wait for answer. He already stepped aside, and Laurent decided to follow him. There was a small temptation of sitting back and continuing his book instead of conversing with a bastard, but he remembered Nicaise, and that was enough for him to follow Kastor's lead.

They strolled through the prettiest part of the garden, which was designed by the late Queen, Egeria. It was filled with exotic flowers, heavy scents, and a fountain here and there. Laurent deeply appreciated this part of the gardens. It was designed with special care for each plant, and was arranged in a manner not to appear too much (like in Vere) or too plain (like most of Akielos). It was in a quite secluded place, so not many people came by. It was Laurent's favourite place.

"Do you like the gardens?" Kastor asked.

"Yes," Laurent said honestly, and could not help himself, but added, "But I cannot stand small talk. Please talk to me about why you came to me.”

"Do you like it here?" Kastor asked, ignoring Laurent.

"I do," he said. They were walking next to each other, about two feet apart, Kastor's guards following them discreetly.

"Is Damen a good master?"

Laurent thought for a bit. "Not really."

"That's what I thought,” Kastor sighed. He stole a look at Laurent from the corner of his eye, as if to get a confirmation for something, and went on. “He is not used to pets. He feels humiliated that anyone can borrow any one of you, when you are his property. But he is not a selfish man, he is just spoiled. He knows you are happier this way, and after all, he still has an army of slaves."

"What is your point?" Laurent asked, looking at him. This situation, an Akielon speaking a hole in his stomach, was new. Kastor did not show the Akielon straightforwardness; on the contrary, he spoke and behaved like a Veretian. Even that game he played with his pets was like something a Veretian would do. He looked out of place here. Laurent hated to admit that Kastor might be a useful ally.

"My point is, that so far you are doing good. Damen finds a small relief in the fact that his special little pet is still loyal to him, in his own way. I encourage you not to change it. If even _you_ deny yourself from him, he might throw a tantrum, and lock all of you up."

It contradicted the Damianos Laurent spoke to, who gave the pets a lot of freedom without arguing. But it fitted perfectly in the picture Laurent painted over the years of the prince-killer. The prince-killer was selfish, egoistic, and cruel. Laurent accepted Kastor’s description instantly. Sometimes it was easier to stick to your old demons than to accept a new opportunity that would change your life too much.

"You are telling me to get into your brother's bed. Is this how it's done in Akielos? A family member asking a prostitute to fuck his little brother?"

"Well, I wasn't finished. I encourage you to stay by his side, but..." He stopped walking, and Laurent stopped too. With one long stride, Kastor overcame the distance between them, and was just a few inches apart from Laurent. Laurent willed himself not to step back, and held the Prince's gaze. "But I feel you are different," he started in a low voice. "You resent him, you are disgusted by him. I saw you at the banquet and I listened to Damen's stories. I would say you have a grudge against him. He said you told him you used to live in Delpha. You are angry with him for taking your home. Or maybe you lost family in the battle of Marlas."

It took all of Laurent's willpower to even his breathing. Even if it was a fabricated life, it had too much truth for Laurent to be comfortable with Kastor knowing so much about it. It brought Kastor closer to discover Laurent’s true identity.

"Do you see me as a threat to him?" His voice came out sounding unaffected.

"Not yet. But you can be, if you follow my instructions."

That took a moment to sink in. Laurent took a deep breath. He exhaled. This cannot be happening.

"Watch yourself. It is not wise to talk of treason in broad daylight."

"That is exactly why no one will think the two of us are talking about it."

"It is also unwise to show your cards like that," Laurent continued. "What if I decline and tell about your offer to Damianos?"

Kastor scoffed. "You can try but he won't believe you. He loves me too much. He is too trusting, he could never imagine me going behind his back. He thinks everyone loves him. As I said, he's spoiled."

"Maybe you are just testing me."

"Why would I? I already know I should never trust a Veretian. I am aware you have your own motives and a dozen secrets you are not willing to tell."

Laurent looked at the guards, standing far enough to be out of earshot. He decided.

"You are right," he whispered. "I lost my brother and my home at Marlas. I am ready to do anything to bring Prince Damianos down."

A Veretian smile spreaded across Kastor's lips.

"Good."  
___

In the meantime, Laurent found that chess matches with Damianos have become a regular activity. At first, the Prince only had time every two or three days, then every other day, and now he has been in Damianos's chambers on each afternoon of the last five days. Laurent wondered if Kastor had urged his brother to do that. So far, Kastor had only given him small tasks, like fetching some letters from his desk. Laurent had not been able to sort out what Kastor is doing exactly, but he has narrowed options in his mind to a small number.

After a few afternoons spent with Damianos, their complete silence while playing transformed into witty conversation. One simply could not remain silent next to him. Damianos had asked if he liked his gifts. Laurent had told him he didn't like silk. Damianos has been scandalised. Laurent told him he preferred cotton and velvet. Two days later, he was given five new chitons, varying in colour and cutting, made of velvet and cotton. A note was attached, that read "As far as I know, all your clothing is made of silk. You are in need of an entire new wardrobe."

Now, Damianos looked at the board, which presented his unquestionable defeat.

"You are good," he said. "I lost track of our points. Can you tell me?"

"It is not something that needs to be kept track of," Laurent shrugged. He sat elegantly on the sofa that has become his over time, sipping on the water in his cup. "But it is six to five in my favour."

"I'll drink to that," the Prince said, and swung his cup. "Lykaios, please clear up my defeat."

The slave stood up to do so. In the past weeks, Laurent has been around more slaves. He got used to them, but his disapproval of slavery did not change. He talked to Lykaios several times, and found the woman loveable, but it was a great loss that she lacked a real personality.

It was especially odd to see Damianos interact with Lykaios. In front of Laurent, he was very kind to her. And frankly, he was very kind to everyone Laurent saw him interact with. The only person he showed some hostility towards was the kyros of Aegina, who criticised Theomedes's rule openly.

That made Laurent think about Damianos's true personality a lot. When he arrived to Ios, he was ready to believe everything bad about the killer of his brother. Even two weeks ago, Laurent did not question Kastor when he said Damianos is just a spoiled princeling. At first, Laurent thought Damianos is two-faced, and only the ones close to him know about his true self. But over the course of the past two weeks, Laurent learnt that Damianos is too straightforward to do so. He wore his heart on his sleeve. He showed genuine worry about the wellbeing of his slaves, he was genuinely angry with Jokaste (though Laurent did not know yet why), and one time he was so upset about his father's worsening condition that Kastor had to drag him away from the king's bedside.

All of this did not confuse Laurent though. Damianos might not be a terrible man to his friends and subjects but he was a terrible man to Laurent. Killing one's brother is not something a smile and a few kind words can make you forget. A part of Laurent started to like Damianos, yes, but the stronger part of him wanted revenge. And anyways, people kill people they like all the time in Vere.

"You said you like horses," Damianos said now.

"I didn't lie if that's the question," Laurent countered cautiously. Damianos laughed.

"I meant to ask how well you can ride. I happen to have a lot of horses. There's a beautiful silver mare who has the same fiery temper as you do. She is a recent gift. So far I hasn’t been able to break her in. I think she would like you."

"Are inviting me to ride with you?"

"Yes?"

"Outside the palace?"

From the face he made, that made Damianos remember Laurent was supposed to be an untrustworthy Veretian. Maybe a spy. Definitely an enemy.

"Yes. What are you going to do? Gallop away while being chased by me and my guards? I will make sure they have faster horses than you. Thank you for reminding me," he smiled, kind of deviously. It was the first time Laurent saw something like that from the Prince. He liked it.  
___

Laurent was in the stables before Damen got there. Damen stopped at the door, and allowed himself to take in the sight. The pet was dividing his attention between to mares, stroking their muzzles and giving them small treats. His pale hair was laced in a tight braid, and more importantly, he was smiling.

Laurent rarely expressed emotions. His most frequent ones were anger and hurt. Damen had seen him smiling a few times when Laurent didn't know he was looking. He had a really pretty smile. He always looked like he carried a burden on his shoulders, but when he was smiling, the whole thing lifted, and Laurent looked free and careless.

Damen stepped forward. "Hello."

Laurent's head turned, snapping out of his previous mindset, but his smile not vanishing entirely.

"It was long ago since I have been with horses."

"I see. You look happy."

Laurent didn't answer. He kept stroking the animals. "Which one is to be mine today?" he asked instead.

"The grey one."

"The one I'm stroking? She's supposed to have a temper?"

"I did say I believed she would like you," said Damen defensively. He had no idea how Laurent managed to stroke the horse without her biting his hands off. Maybe it was some Veretian trick.

They both geared their horses up, and led them out of the stables. Damen had a black beauty, a giant stallion, who was the fastest in Ios, perhaps in all Akielos. He tried to give Laurent a hand with mounting but the pet dismissed him with an icy glare. He shrugged, and mounted his stallion with ease. He looked over to see if Laurent was ready, and saw what was sure to come.

Laurent wasn't mounted; he was standing close to the horse, stroking her neck, and whispering to her. He did that for a while, then softly took her mantle into hand, and tried to make her take a few steps forward. She started, but when Laurent tried to go around her, she panicked again. She was shaking her head, and retreating. Laurent furrowed his brows but didn't give up. Damen and his guards (all mounted) watched with interest as Laurent neared the horse again. She let Laurent touch her again. This time, Laurent turned her at once, but to the other direction. This time the horse turned without complaint.

Laurent calmly went around her, mounted, and said, "We're going that way."

With that, they took off.

The first twenty minutes or so went without them talking to each other. The only sounds were the blowing of the wind and the birds chirping as they left the palace. The guards quickly grew bored and started talking in low voices. Damen had an itch to urge his horse to make a faster pace, and leave them behind.

"Race you to that tree!" Laurent shouted, like he knew what Damen was thinking, and with that, he was already galloping towards a forest nearby. Damen swore and followed him.

It was liberating to feel the wind whistle in his ear, to watch the scenery go by quickly. Damen caught up with Laurent in under two minutes but he could not race past him.

He couldn't help but look at Laurent and admire the way he looked. His white chiton was flying gracefully, somehow without revealing inappropriate parts of the wearer, his golden braid was coming undone, and on his face sat an expression of liberation. Damen felt his chest tighten, the way it always did when he was beginning to fall in love.

In the end, Laurent won.

Damen missed the first place by an arm’s length, and he wasn't displeased at all. The sight of Laurent was worth losing the race. It was worth losing all the races.

Laurent dismounted, and tied his horse to a tree next to a stream Damen has just noticed. Laurent knelt down, and washed his face. Damen wondered if he somehow knew that water will be here to refresh themselves. It wouldn't be unlike him.

He dismounted too, tied his horse to another tree, and sat down next to Laurent.

"You did great," Damen gasped. He tried to hide the fact that he was a bit out of breath. He cupped his hands and put them in the water to drink.

"Of course I did great," Laurent said. He sat back, cross-legged, and was leaning on his palms. "I'm an excellent rider."

"I never asked. Who taught you to ride?" asked Damen, while he splashed some water on his face.

"My brother."

Damen didn't answer. Laurent had told him he had lost his brother at Marlas. After that, he and his father had left Delpha. Damen knew it was hard for Laurent to open up. He appreciated the small things, like Laurent talking about his brother without his voice going bitter with grief. He looked at Laurent to check his expression. Laurent stared back, his face a blank page.

"I'm happy you trust me," he said, partly because he wanted to tell Laurent that, partly because he felt like he needed to explain himself.

"I don't trust you," Laurent replied immediately. Then he went quiet, actually thinking about it. He sighed. "I-" He broke off. Damen waited. He didn't want to force anything out of Laurent.

"I find that I share parts of myself with you without thinking about it." He was furrowing his brows, and looking stubbornly at the stream before them. "You have a certain effect on people."

"A certain effect?" Damen laid back on his side, watching Laurent. He was pretty like that. But again, when was he not pretty?

"I can't explain." Laurent shook his head softly. "Everyone loves you. And I am everyone."

Damen smiled wildly. He was very pleased with the idea of Laurent liking him. He didn't dare to think Laurent's affections were romantic though. Laurent was a reserved man, and falling in love must take him a while, and maybe a little help.

Laurent lied down next to him. Damen caught his breath. Laurent turned his head to look at him, his eyes wide, his face still flushed from the exercise. Damen thought, if he leant down to kiss him, Laurent would let him.

Suddenly, a noise came, and the moment was gone. They both turned their heads in the direction it came from to see the guards arriving. Laurent's mouth slowly curled in a condescending smile.

Damen cleared his throat. "I invited a few soldiers to drink at my chambers tonight. Do you want to come? You could hear some Akielon gossip."

Laurent faced him, and his expression said, 'I already know all the Akielon gossip'. Damen prepared himself for rejection. It's a shame, he thought he managed to break one of Laurent's walls down.

"Fine. I will come."  
___

The people coming to drink were soldiers: Pallas and Aktis. They were both tall, dark and muscular like Damianos. Based on the easy familiarity they acted around their Prince, Laurent would say they were close. He didn't know how to feel about that. In Vere, it was rare for someone of high rank to mix with soldiers. Only Auguste used to do that.

Wine flowed, even Laurent took a sip or two, and over time, the men started to act more and more laid-back. A few slaves entered the room. Laurent had never witnessed anyone having a private entertainment of such sorts, though he knew it was common. A male slave sat down next to Laurent's feet. He didn't try to approach Laurent, which the man deeply appreciated.

"What's your name?" He asked, mostly to distract himself from the sounds coming from the soldiers' direction. He reached under the slave's chin to be able to look into his eyes. He looked about Laurent's age, maybe a year younger than him. His short dark curls and slim figure made him look boyish. "You can speak."

"This one is called Isander," said the slave in a soft voice, blushing, flustered from the small attention he was receiving.

"Isander," Laurent repeated. "Tell me about yourself. What is your life like? Do you have any hobbies?"

Laurent was curious how the slave would speak of himself. They always referred to themselves as 'this one', which made Laurent shiver. He didn't set the bar high; he knew the boy needed some guiding questions.

"This one likes poetry but rarely has the opportunity to just enjoy it." The answer came after a short hesitation.

"What do you mean?"

"This one usually just recites poetry. This one knows a lot of poems, mostly battle poems because those are what the Exalted Princes like. But reciting, listening and reading are entirely different."

"So you prefer just listening to poetry?"

"Yes, and-" suddenly, he stopped, and ducked his head.

"Listening, and?" Laurent inquired. He had a slight suspicion what the boy was about to say, but he wanted the slave to say it himself.

"And writing," said Isander, eyes fixed on the sofa. That made Laurent aware that the poor thing was still sitting on the cold marble floor. He gestured to the empty space next to him. Isander stood, and took a seat next to him, somehow managing to do this while not looking at Laurent at all.

Then, it sank into Laurent what the boy had said.

"You write poetry?" Laurent asked, not trying to hide his shock. In Vere, it was believed that art was the highest form of independence. Isander nodded. "Can you tell me one of your poems? Do you know them by heart?"

"This one could tell you a love poem, if you would like."

"Please," Laurent urged him on, hoping the boy won't be overtaken by shyness now.

Isander straightened his back, finally lifted his chin, and began to recite. It was about two princes, a kind one and a hostile one, who meet at the border of their kingdoms to close the centuries-long rivalry between their countries. First, they try diplomacy, and they fall in love while parleying with each other. The kind prince teaches the hostile one love, and in turn the hostile one teaches the kind one cunning. They unite their kingdoms, which begins to flourish under their rule. It featured beautiful descriptions of emotions and the two princes. Laurent was gripped by the story, and when Isander finished, he felt a bit hazed.

"That was beautiful," was all he managed to say.

"Thank you," Isander blushed. "It is an Akielon folk tale."

"Really? I have never heard of it." Laurent had started reading the Akielon library with his favourites, the folk tales, but he had never come across it.

"It is because it can never be written down." To Laurent's curiously arched eyebrow, Isander continued. "It is some sort of prophecy. When it is spoken, it gets stronger and more likely to happen, but every time someone writes it down, it weakens."

"Then how do you know it wasn't altered? This way anyone can add their own ideas to the prophecy."

"Oh, it does have innumerable versions. There are versions where the two princes meet in Ios or where they grow up together. There's even one where the kind prince is sent to the hostile one disguised as a slave. But the core of it is always the same: a kind and a hostile prince meet, they fall in love, and unite their kingdoms."

Laurent remained silent. He involuntarily pictured himself and Damianos meeting at Marlas. Not when Laurent was thirteen but a few years later. They fall in love. They unite their kingdoms. If this is so deep in the Akielons' collective knowledge, then how did they react when King Theomedes marched into war against Vere?

"Sir?" Laurent heard Isander say. He turned, and saw the boy looking at him, eyes wide with worry. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am." Laurent shifted, and pressed one of his legs to his chest.

He looked around, and discovered that they were the only ones remaining in the room. The two soldiers must have left, and Damianos must have retreated with someone.

"You should go," Laurent said to Isander. "I want to meet you tomorrow in the library, after lunch. Bring your poems, if you have them written down. If you have any other duties, tell someone to cancel them."

"Yes. Good night," Isander said, beaming, and disappeared behind the door.

Laurent stood. No one was in the room, except for him. It was the perfect opportunity to rummage through Damianos's things.


	6. On the Balcony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments, kudos, bookmarks, and views!! I wish I could express how much they mean to me!

He didn't know what he was looking for. He didn't even know what his goal was with this. What was he trying to prove? That Damianos will be a bad King? That Damianos is a bad person?

The Prince's room was always messy, and his desk was no exception. However hard Laurent tried, he could not figure out a manner of organisation behind the mess. Damianos just threw whatever was in his hand wherever it landed. It made the search a bit easier though, because Laurent didn't have to put everything carefully back to its place.

Laurent read every letter he found. They were mostly letters from Nikandros, official letter from kyroi were rare. He was talking about sports and campaigns. A recent one talked about Ancel. Ancel seemed to like his new lifestyle, and he liked Nikandros. Sometimes Nikandros had no idea how to handle him but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The only letter Ancel sent Laurent so far was about how serious and how important Nikandros was.

He found an unfinished letter to Jokaste. It consisted of a paragraph about how Damianos used to love her, but after she betrayed his trust, he felt he cannot face her ever again. Laurent arched his eyebrows. What did she do? Laurent wanted to know how she broke Damen's heart, and wanted her to suffer for it.

No. _No, no, no, no._

Not like that.

He just didn't like people who broke other people's hearts. Yes, that is how he felt.

Suddenly, he heard the creak of a door. He jumped out of Damen's chair, and rushed out to the balcony. The sheer curtains did little to cover him, but it was dark outside, so maybe whoever came into the room, was oblivious enough not to see him.

An unmistakably enormous figure stepped out of Damen's bedchamber. The few candles and the curtain made the edges of his silhouette blurry, as if he was a creature from a tale. Laurent unconsciously took a step backward, and his hips hit the balustrades. Damen walked around the room, searching for something, and it became obvious he was naked. Laurent had never seen him naked before.

Laurent took in his surroundings. Akielon architecture was so fucking bare he couldn't find a way of escape from the balcony. He peeked behind his back. The balcony was too high from the ground to jump. The sky started to get lighter at the bottom. Did he just spend the night at Damen's chambers? It made sense. It was already dark when the drinking began. Then he talked a lot to Isander. Then he got invested in reading letters.

Oh no.

Damen was coming towards the balcony. Laurent quickly arranged himself in an elegant pose, and tried to look as relaxed as possible. The Prince drew the curtains aside.

"I didn't think I would find you here," he said, furrowing his brows in surprise. Thankfully, some cloth was wrapped around his waist.

"I came back. I was hoping to catch you before you start your day," Laurent lied. Damen believed it, and a confused smile spread across his lips. He came to stand next to Laurent. He rested his elbows on the railing; Laurent was still facing the room.

"Did you want to talk to me?" Laurent didn't speak. He didn't have an answer yet. Being this close to Damen made his mind work slower. "Is it about last night?"

"No." Laurent finally found his voice. "I just wanted to ask you about Ancel."

"Oh." Damen took it as the disappointing answer it was. "He's well. He and Nikandros like each other. Nikandros says he's a handful."

Awkward silence followed Damen's words.

"The other pets are happy too," Laurent said. "They are thriving. I never thanked you for that."

Damen shrugged. "It's the least I can do for them. They were torn from their lives, from their home country. It's only fair I try to make them feel welcome."

That made Laurent think of Kastor. He said Damen was complaining about having to let his pets mix with the courtiers. "Are you jealous?"

"Jealous of whom?" Damen asked, not hiding the surprise in his voice.

"The courtspeople. They can bed your pets now, you know."

Damen laughed. "No, not at all. Let them be. I don't care, I don't even know them. It's not like I lost my dignity because of it."

Interesting. Kastor said quite the opposite.

"Look at you, being the spokesperson of the pets," Damen continued. "You worry about their wellbeing. Leading people suits you."

Laurent turned his head left, and found Damen looking at him. An unexplainable fondness shone in his eyes. Laurent could not bear to look into those eyes, but he couldn't tear his gaze away either. They remained like that for a few moments, locked in each other’s expressions.

"Thank you," he said slowly.

"Were you the same, in the palace? Were you a leader, and was that why you were sent here?"

"Back in Arles, there was no such thing as a leader among pets. They were constantly trying to undermine the others."

"And what were you doing? I heard you were popular."

"I was just lucky I had blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Taking after the Prince, huh?" Damen's voice turned bitter. He exhaled sharply. "You know, the first time I saw you, and you said your name was Laurent, I thought you were sent here as some kind of sick joke. A pet specifically for me, named for the little brother of the man whom I have killed at Marlas."

Well, it was a sick joke. But not targeted at only Damen.

"You know, I have thought a lot about the young prince."

"What?" Laurent couldn't help saying.

"At first I didn't think about him at all. I killed Auguste." Laurent's heart skipped a beat at that. "I didn't feel guilt. We won the war; thousands of soldiers could have died that day. Thousands of soldiers have already died that day. That was what happened in war. People, even important people got killed. I returned home as a war hero.

"And then, months later, Kastor and I got into a very bad fight. He left the palace for a long time. And I couldn't help but think about whether I will lose him. And that made me think about Prince Laurent. He had already lost his older brother. I didn't know if they had love for each other, but I knew and I still know that younger brothers always have a fondness towards their older brother. Prince Laurent was so young. Losing Auguste must have wrecked him."

Laurent wanted to speak. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He didn't know what to say. He just wanted to stop this confession. He won't be able to bear knowing his brother's killer had regret for what he did. It was cruel. They were both suffering: Damianos from guilt and Laurent from loss.

"I became obsessed with him. I have killed so many people in fights, but he was somehow different. I tried writing letters to him, to say I was sorry, but I always ended up burning them. It felt wrong. I wanted to know him, I wanted to soothe him, but I know my efforts wouldn't be welcome. So I sent spies to Arles. Only a few of them actually got close to the Prince. They said Laurent was reserved and bitter. Then I made the mistake of making them ask what he was like before Marlas. The answer was he was shy and bookish, and he hero-worshipped his brother. He was a rising star, burning only to be put out by some Akielon."

A heavy silence descended between them. Laurent turned to face the sea. He needed to look at something calming, or else he felt he was going to faint. The sky was different shades of blue, sunlight sparkled on the water, and birds were chirping.

"Forgive me," Damianos said. "I get sentimental after a night of drinking. I just..." He stopped.

"It's alright," Laurent said in such a small voice he was barely able to hear himself. "Now he's dead. You don't have to worry about him."

"That is the worst of it," Damianos said in a shaky voice. Laurent looked at him, and saw tears running down the Prince's cheeks. "When my father said he would be open to the idea of a peace treaty with Vere, I thought my chance is here to make things right. There came the negotiations, and the Prince was never there. I thought it fair. I had all the time now to make everything up to him. But then the news came about his death. And now I can never tell him how sorry I am for ruining his life."

Laurent felt dizzy. He had to get out of here.

"I have to go," he said, and rushed out of the room without waiting for an answer. Damianos, Crown Prince of Akielos, prince-killer, remained there on his balcony, crying.  
___

He met with Isander after lunch, just like they agreed. Laurent ate lunch in his rooms as he sometimes did. Normally, the pets all ate together in a dining room facing the gardens, and Laurent didn't want to withdraw himself from group activities. On the ship, he gained the pets trust, and he couldn't afford to lose it. He didn't want to lose it.

He was grateful for the distraction Isander provided. The boy was waiting for him next to the library door. He was clutching a stack of papers. His eyes where shining. He looked excited and happy. It warmed Laurent's heart.

"Good morning, Isander," he said, after the slave bowed more deeply than what was appropriate for Laurent's rank. "I am sorry for keeping you up most of the night. Have you slept?"

"Yes," Isander said, as they walked through the door. "I slept almost until noon, but that is expectable from anyone who spent a night entertaining."

Laurent remembered what the slave's original purpose was in Damianos's chambers. Laurent dared to say Isander was happier to talk about poems than to have sex. It was a refreshing change.

They sat down on Laurent's favourite bench, the one under a window, surrounded by exotic plants that had no flowers. Laurent enjoyed strong scents but found them distracting. Laurent asked Isander to read out loud for him. Isander began, and Laurent closed his eyes, and let himself be drifted away by poetry.

They were mostly love poems. They had beautiful symbolism and metaphors. In one, Isander compared himself to a piece of glass, that was invisible by itself, but when the sun (the attention of others) shone through it, it produced all the colours of the rainbow. In another, he compared love to a garden where every plant was different but just as precious as the others.

A specific figure appeared in a lot of these poems. His name was never said, but Laurent recognised it was Nikandros. Isander talked about long hair with waves like the sea, starry eyes with eyelashes dark as night, and talent that caught the attention of the royal family. Laurent smiled to himself. It seemed all the slaves were in love with either Damianos, Nikandros, or Kastor. Sometimes with all of them at once.

Laurent wondered if he would be capable of romantic love. Maybe if Marlas had gone differently. Laurent has never been in love with anyone. At least never in real love. He doubted if he would be able to recognise the feeling.

He imagined a world, where Auguste lived, and he had crushes like everyone else. Would he keep pets? Would he visit brothels? And how would people treat him? Would his suitors be bolder? Or the opposite, because Auguste told them not to come close to him? Would anyone break his heart? Surely, heartbreak was a consequence of falling too deep for someone. Laurent knew heartbreak was not a pleasant experience, but he found himself longing for it, just to know how it feels.

Laurent snapped out of thoughts when he heard a familiar rhythm. It was a traditionally Veretian one, much more complicated than the Akielon metres. It was about how Isander imagined the famed Veretian Court. It was quite off but nonetheless Laurent liked what he imagined. Opulent halls came to life, with energetic courtiers followed by beautiful pets. Everyone was in love, and the only lies told were to be more appealing to your heart's chosen one. Pets were like slaves without cuffs but with more expensive and more beautiful clothes and jewellery.

Prince Laurent was there too. He was a golden youth, surrounded by pets and courtiers worshipping him. He was kind and just. He founded orphanages and gave food to the ones in need. He had suffered a great loss and dedicated his life to help others. His hair was starlight, his eyes forget-me-nots, and his skin soft marble. He was an excellent swordsman but he appreciated arts the most. His palace's walls were covered in framed paintings, statues stood guard at every door, and music filled the rooms.

The real Laurent smiled. He would enjoy himself in this place. Maybe, after this is all over, he will create a Court like this.

When Isander finished, he shyly asked, "Did you like it?"

"I did like it very much," Laurent said honestly.  
___

That night, he thought of the death of Auguste.

He was in the tents behind the lines, so he didn't see the death of neither of his father nor his brother. King Aleron was killed by a stray arrow, and Auguste was bested in a duel by Damianos of Akielos. The news were told him at once, and he screamed. He ran out of the tent screaming to throw himself into the chaos of the battle to find one of them. He hoped he would find them alive. But his guards restricted him, and dragged him to the Regent's tent, where he continued screaming and crying into his Uncle's arms.

Auguste had only died because he was facing a rested soldier who didn't set foot into the battle that day. It was an unfair fight.

He looked different in his death. His face was longer. His hair had so much blood in it, it was no more golden. Uncle gently pulled Laurent away from him too soon. Still, Laurent had enough time to swear revenge while a single tear dropped on Auguste's cheek.


	7. Love and Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm updating this chapter in a hurry, so of there are any mistakes I'm sorry, I will correct them in a week.

Making a deal with Kastor upturned Laurent's plan a bit.

Originally, he wanted to get the courtiers' love, make them believe he worshipped Damianos just as much as any slave, and when the right time came, kill him.

But Kastor had his own plan, which he told Laurent in detail an hour ago. After their father's death (which was at this point very near and very inevitable), Kastor wanted to kill his brother in the chaotic aftermath. His guards were already being slowly replaced by men loyal to Kastor. His household will be killed; probably some slaves will even slice their own throats in grief. Kastor was willing to spare his pets though, if Laurent followed every one of his instructions.

That won't be a problem, most of the time. There were only two things Laurent intended to do behind Kastor's back. He planned to poison Damianos's guards so he could face him alone. After he killed one Prince, he would go to the other. He will tell Kastor Damianos is dead. Kastor will want to see the body himself. And while he will inspect the corpse of his brother, Laurent will slice Kastor's throat.

The kingdom will fall into chaos. Laurent already knew that the one most likely to ascend to the throne was Nikandros. If it happens in a year, Laurent will reveal himself, showing Nikandros his signet ring he still had, and ask for his aid in going against his Uncle. If it takes longer, Laurent will reveal himself, and ask Nikandros to support him against his Uncle and in return, he will have Vere's support in his campaign for the throne.

The pets' fate was more dubious. Laurent will have to make clear that none of them were involved in his games. If Nikandros arrives and takes charge before anything bad happens to them, they were safe. Nikandros liked Ancel a lot, and he was likely to be convinced not to hurt the other pets.

Laurent will have to make sure that Nikandros likes him. He has just sent a letter to Nikandros telling him he's worried about Kastor. This will be no new information. In the letters Laurent read in Damianos's rooms, Kastor's possible treachery was a recurring topic. This letter's purpose was to let Nikandros know, Laurent cared about Damianos. He sent another letter to Ancel instructing him to whisper sweet things in Nikandros's ear about how Prince Laurent was never angry with Damianos, and wanted to let him know he forgave him for killing his brother, because he only did his duty.

Laurent didn't want Kastor on the Akielon throne. He disliked him. Kastor was the most Veretian Akielon he met, and at first that appealed to Laurent, but with time, Laurent learned how power hungry he really was. If Laurent told Kastor who he was, Kastor would try to use him to get the Veretian throne.

Nikandros was different. From the time he spent in the palace in the beginning of Laurent's stay here, and from the letters he wrote to Damianos, Laurent came to know Nikandros as an honest and honourable man. To Nikandros, the fate of his country was the most important thing. It was risky whether Nikandros will help Laurent when Akielos was in ruins. But that was a risk Laurent was willing to take.

His other option was going to Patras after the killings or after Nikandros rejected him. But Patras was a long way, filled with danger. Laurent could not afford to die. Not until he defeated his Uncle. He was more likely to get Patran support, but for now, staying in Akielos was a safer option.

The other thing that upturned his plans was Damianos.

Knowing he felt guilty about killing Auguste was off-putting. Did a man who sincerely regretted his crimes deserve punishment? If Damianos wanted to apologise to Laurent was he still a monster? He was only doing what was best for his people.

But Veretians didn't believe in late apologies. They believed in revenge. At least that was what Laurent kept telling himself.

Sometimes, late at night, Laurent lied in his bed, and made himself forget what Damianos did. He imagined himself the way Isander saw him, the way the people saw the folk tale. He imagined the two of them falling in love, and-

And he would always cut himself off. He didn't want to let his brother down. He didn't want Auguste to think Laurent didn't love him enough to revenge his death.

But at the same time he was aware of what his heart was telling him. After reading about love so many times, and hearing Isander's countless love poems, Laurent realised the uneven beating of his heart and the strange fondness he felt meant he was in love with Damianos. He was always trying to make excuses why it was alright to like him. Then he was trying to make an excuse why he wanted to like him.

He used to think he won’t be able to recognise when he falls in love. Now he knew it was too great a feeling to be overlooked.

That was it. That was the beginning of the end. Laurent was undeniably in love with his brother's killer.  
___

Laurent was free to go wherever he wanted to, as long as it was inside the palace. He suspected there was a silent rule that he wasn't meant to go to Kastor's quarters. So far, Kastor had invited him to his chambers only once - when he outlined his plan to Laurent. His sitting room looked just like Laurent imagined. Divans to lounge on, no desk, and shelves filled with exhibited daggers and history books.

Laurent never took Akielons for the bookish type of people but Kastor defied practically every belief Laurent had of Akielons. Laurent thought Kastor had spent many nights reading history, searching for the best method to carve his way as the heir's brother to the throne.

However, now he was not here to talk about treachery. He was here to talk about Kastor's pets, especially Nicaise.

Kastor was lying on a cushioned sofa, with a pet (Pierre? It has been a while since Laurent last saw him) sitting on his lower back, massaging his shoulders. He rested his cheek on a pillow and didn't bother to open his eyes to look at Laurent.

"Ah, Laurent! What or who can I thank for your visit?" To the untrained ear, he sounded undisturbed but Laurent knew him enough to catch the annoyance under.

"I am here to talk about Nicaise and your other pets," said Laurent, crossing his arms.

"To talk about my pets, while one of them is here. Did you plan this?"

"No. How would I be able to predict which pet will you take and when?" Kastor - the smartest man in Akielos - was really dull sometimes.

"Whatever. What about them?"

"To begin with, how are they? I know they are restricted to your quarters. Aren't they going insane? Aren't you going insane?" The last question was directed at the pet, who looked up from Kastor's shoulders to Laurent.

"Tell him," growled the Prince. "Are you going insane?"

Laurent narrowed his eyes. As he told the pets on the ship, _You are either with Laurent or with the Regent._

"A little bit," said the pet in a small voice.

"See? I am sure you have heard from Damianos about our agreement. He lets his pets go around the palace as they like." The pets needed their freedom. And Laurent needed more pets to spy on more people for him.

"The difference between Damianos and I is that I actually take use of my pets. And I am not about to let them fuck everyone in Ios."

Damianos wasn't the only one feeling protective of his pets.

"I didn't say you have to. You can just let them come and go but it is within your right to forbid them from flirting with other people."

"How can I trust them to follow that order?"

"You cannot trust a Veretian anyways. For all you know they might be having multiple affairs already."

Kastor sighed.

"I'll think about it. Is that all?"

"No. I want to know more about Nicaise."

"The boy? Are you two friends or something?" Laurent didn't answer. He didn't have an answer for that. "He's fine. He still won't go to the orphanage. He seems to like the luxury. I assigned him a harp and a dance tutor. I think he enjoys his lessons. He annoys his tutors."

"Is he with the slaves in training?"

"Oh, no. He went to one harp lesson, and they kicked him out. He got his own tutors only because he is under my personal protection."

"Good," Laurent said, relieved. He made for the door, but turned back, with his hand on the door handle. "How is the game?"

For a moment, Kastor looked confused, then he understood what Laurent meant. "The pets found out. Luckily, they are not the jealous type."

"You don't say," Laurent murmured, and walked out.  
___

At first, Laurent tried to actively avoid Damen. Damianos. He declined his invitations for a chess match, then his invitations to sit with him at dinner. But he discovered there was a limit of how long one could go without seeing his love. After six days, Laurent found himself knocking on Damen's door.

"Who is it?" he heard Damen's voice from the sitting room.

"Laurent," said Pallas who was guarding the door.

"Let him in," Damen said in an entirely different tone. Laurent couldn't make out its meaning.

Laurent stepped inside, the door closing behind him. Damianos has been sorting documents at his desk. Upon seeing Laurent, his face lit up. He stood and took a few steps forward. When he remembered how Laurent had been avoiding him, he stopped. A remnant of his earlier smile remained at the corner of his lips.

"I want to apologise," Damen said.

"What," Laurent blurted. Damen really made him lose his wits.

"First, I invite you to drink with people you don't even know. You end up not talking to them. Then you have to watch us be entertained by slaves when I know you abhor slavery. The next morning I get emotional, and tell you how I feel about two dead princes who have nothing to do with you. I am sorry. Nikandros always said I can be a lot sometimes."

Laurent was appalled. Damen never ceased to surprise him. Then he laughed. Out of confusion, out of relief, whatever. He let himself laugh hysterically, as if laughing was another way of getting rid of his bottled up emotions. He laughed at himself for falling for this loveable idiot, he laughed at the absurdity of their situation, and he laughed at Damen for being this oblivious.

When he finished, Damen asked, "Should I take that as an apology accepted?"

"Yes," Laurent smiled at him. Damen smiled back. It was wonderful. "I'm sorry for avoiding you," he continued. "I think I was embarrassed. I was not sure if you wanted _me_ to know these things or if you wanted _someone_ to know them. I was worried you regretted telling me."

"No, not all." Damen stepped closer to him. He reached for Laurent's hands. Laurent let him take them. "There is something in you which makes me trust you. You may be a Veretian but I want you to know all my feelings. I want my soul to be naked before you. I know you would treat my heart tenderly."

Laurent took in a sharp breath. "Should I take that as a love confession?"

Damen kissed both of Laurent's hands. "Yes. And you don't have to feel this way. I don't expect anything from you. I just had to say it like I had to say the things I said that night. I just-"

"I am strangely fond of you too," Laurent interrupted. Something sparkled in Damen's eyes, and he leant closer.

It was Laurent who closed the distance between them. The kiss was pleasant, something that made Laurent's stomach sink in a good way. They were both keeping their mouths closed at first, then they broke apart for a moment to look into each other's eyes, and went back. This time Damen opened his lips slightly, and Laurent did too. In Vere, he saw all the exquisite techniques of the art of kissing. It was a rather simple one, but Laurent doubted any of the pets felt this good during performances.

Finally, when the kiss couldn't get any deeper, Laurent drew back. He opened his eyes, and saw Damen with his eyes shining and slightly swollen lips. If so far he was handsome, now he was gorgeous. Laurent never really thought about the physical side of his attraction to Damen but that did not mean it wasn't there. Oh gods, it was there.

He took a step back. He didn't want to go any further now. On the one hand, he knew Damen was a caring and gentle lover. On the other, this was their first kiss. Laurent always expected real desire to build up slowly over time. Suddenly, he didn't know what to do with his body.

"Did you not like it?" Damen asked. His face was a study of worry. Whenever Laurent saw that face, it was easy to forget about Uncle. It was easy to forget about the world.

"No, I did, I did," Laurent said, realising his facial expression had fallen out of control. "I just prefer to take things slow."

"Oh." Damen looked relieved. "Is that it?" Laurent nodded. "I most certainly can take things slow."

Laurent didn't know what to answer. So he said, "We can keep kissing though. If that doesn't bother you."

"Nothing that has to do with you bothers me."  
___

After that, they kept kissing. When they parted, Damen invited Laurent to visit the market in Ios with him. It was a lively place, filled with good-natured people and unique things to buy. They went there just when the sun began to set to keep Laurent's sensitive skin from burning.

The only indication of Damen's rank was the golden lion pin at his chiton but it was more than enough for the commons to recognise him. He never minded the attention, and received the touching hands, kind words and small offerings with charm. He parted from them much more quickly than he usually did though. He felt Laurent watching him from the sidelines of the gathering around him, and he wanted to just spend some time with Laurent.

"I'm sorry," he said, when he finally was able to come beside him. "I keep getting recognised. Maybe if I..." Something occurred to him, and he took down his lion pin, and handed it to one of the guards standing by. "See? Normal citizen now."

Laurent looked at him without blinking.

"What?"

"You are a giant. It wasn't because the pin the people recognised you."

"Whatever," Damen shrugged. "As long as they leave us alone, I consider this a good move."

Laurent rolled his eyes.

"Come on, I wanted to show you the honeyed fruits," Damen said. He hesitantly reached for Laurent's hand, and felt accomplished when the pale fingers wove into his. Laurent didn't even have time to say 'honeyed fruits?' before Damen took off, pulling the man behind him.

There was a stall where a kind old woman sold honeyed fruits. She made the honey herself, one with a taste unmatched in all Akielos. She never made much, and therefore she didn't supply the palace. But Damen came down to the market every now and then, to snack on the honeyed fruits while pleasantly talking to the woman.

"Ah! How are you, Sunshine?" greeted the woman Damen. She liked him, and Damen was glad he can show that off to Laurent.

"Good, thank you," he answered. Laurent stopped next to him, still holding his hand but not standing too close. "How are the bees?"

"They're thriving. I just got some Veretian flowers, they love them."

"What kind of flowers?" asked Damen peeking at Laurent. "My friend here is Veretian. Maybe he will like some of them in his room."

Laurent looked at him. He didn't indicate that he would appreciate such a gesture, but his body betrayed him: he blushed a little.

"I have only the most common ones. Heelflowers, bugbites... Those things."

"And where did you get them?"

"If you go down the main street, you'll see a beautiful garden. The owner sells all kinds of exotic flowers. Just like your lover." She winked.

Laurent didn't look offended at being called an 'exotic flower', so Damen decided it was safe to continue the conversation.

"Actually, we came here so Laurent could try your specialties."

"Yes, lucky for you, I have a wide selection. I have raspberries, strawberries, peaches, and so on. What would you like?"

Damen looked at his companion. "Laurent?"

Laurent leant forward, and examined the fruits on display. The different types of honey were in closed jars, so nothing got stuck in them. They made Damen's mouth water.

"May I smell that one?" asked Laurent, pointing at one of the golden jars. The woman opened it, and handed it to him. Laurent closed his eyes while sniffing, so that he can concentrate more on the smell. Damen secretly thought it adorable.

Also, Laurent was speaking in fluent Akielon. At first, Damen mostly talked with him in Veretian, because he thought using his native language would comfort Laurent. Soon, he realised, it only made him upset, because he thought that Damen didn't believe he could really speak Akielon. Nowadays, they only talked in Veretian if they wanted to discuss private matters in company. Like pointing out that a nobleman's chiton was folded wrong or that someone had obviously just returned from a quick lovemaking.

"It's sweet, but it has some kind of undertone. Did you mix it with herbs?"

"I did," said the woman, amused. "How did you know? You can't even see the pieces in there!"

"Some plants have very recognisable smells. It comes in handy when someone's trying to poison you."

Damen laughed in disbelief. "Who would want to poison you?"

"Not me exactly," Laurent corrected, putting the jar down, and reaching for another. "Berenger made me learn it. He was a paranoiac."

"Does that mean I won't need my poison testers anymore? You just smell my food, and we're good to go?"

Laurent scoffed. "I will not do such a thing. By the way, this one smells nice. Flowery. Is this made from jasmines?"

The old woman clapped her hands. "Wonderful! Makes me want to steal you for myself to help me make new kinds of honey! You'd like that, huh? A simple life, just outside the city. You could eat sweets for breakfast, lunch and dinner." She didn't wait for Laurent to answer. "But I would never take you away from the Crown Prince. Especially since he's such a fine man."

Meanwhile, Laurent had smelled all five sorts of honey.

"I want two portions of blackberries with the jasmine honey," he said. He was good at ordering people around.

"Am I eating that, too?" asked Damen.

"Yes. Every day I eat in the palace where the kitchen servants always try to cook something you will like. Now you will eat what I like."

Damen's lips stretched into a smile. Now that he has known Laurent for weeks, he knew that behind the reasoning lay a small affectionate gesture.  
___

Laurent spent the night in Damen's bed.

Laurent knew how this day was going to end before they reached the palace. He contemplated if it was a good decision, and if this really was what he wanted. He tried to push his Uncle out of his thoughts, and found that next to Damen, it was easy.

Before Damen's door, he asked if he could stay the night. Damen said yes, and from that, it wasn't a challenge to seduce him.

The gossip saying that Damen was a gentle and caring lover was true. He never did more than what he sensed Laurent would allow him, and always minded Laurent's reactions. Laurent liked that. They went slow, kissing, touching and undressing each other. At first, Laurent found it hard to let go, but in the end he could relax in the smell, the taste, the touch, the feel of Damen.

Afterwards, they talked.

"You can be so sweet," Damen murmured, playing with a long strand of blonde hair. "I wish people knew that."

"Is that my only good trait?" asked Laurent, raising an eyebrow.

"No. I like your intellect too. You are smarter than all the people I know. I bet you were good at stirring Veretian politics. And now I know that you have a swordsman's body too. We should spar some time."

Laurent tensed for a moment, then relaxed before Damen could notice.

"One day," said Laurent softly.

After Damen drifted off to sleep, Laurent's mind couldn't rest.

He thought of Damen and Auguste. Damen was now older than Auguste had ever been. He thought of his own twenty years, and that ten months before his Ascension, his Uncle took everything away from him. Now his twenty-first birthday was closer, only eight months away. He wondered when Kastor would do his coup. When would Theomedes die. Laurent knew the older prince had a hand in the King's sickness, though Kastor never told him.

That undeterminable time was all he had with Damen. He did not know how much time he had, but he longed for more. He liked having this. He wanted to have Damen for an eternity. But things were not that simple.

First, he will let himself enjoy Damen's attentions and love. Then he will kill him.

Love and revenge. Who said Laurent couldn't have both?


	8. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, I was in sailing camp. But I saw the kudos and the comments; I'm gonna answer them right now!! Thank you for your patience! :)

Nicaise seemed to be disgusted by seeing Laurent. It didn't matter. Nicaise seemed to be disgusted by everything.

"You don't even look like a proper pet."

"Neither do you."

The boy was wearing an Akielon chiton that was tied on both shoulders, and was long enough to brush his knee. It was good to see him wear clothes that actually covered him. Nicaise would never admit it, but Laurent knew he felt better like this. However, he did not change his personality or style. The chiton was the exact pale blue colour of his eyes, and he was wearing a necklace.

They were in a room in Kastor's quarters that had been given to Nicaise. Laurent had been here a few times. The room was stocked with Nicaise's belongings. His wooden chests were wide open, with clothes thrown in carelessly. He had pieces of jewellery everywhere from his table to his bed to his shelves. His harp was in a corner. A book of poetry was on the floor.

He had a small bath attached to his room, and was only served by slaves, so no one would dare to lay a hand on him while bathing.

"How is school?" Laurent asked.

"They think they can mould me into a brainless servant. The Prince wants me to be good at something other than 'causing trouble and remarks that could start a war'." Here, he was clearly quoting Kastor. "The harp is tolerable. It has a nice sound, and they say singing will be easier once my voice has broken. The poetry is just plain bad. It's too simple to call it decent poetry."

"One of the slaves, Isander has quite beautiful poems," Laurent interrupted. "Maybe you should read one or two. You will learn that simplicity has its own charm."

"Is that the case with you and the other Prince?" Nicaise asked, cocking his head.

"What do you mean?" Laurent fought to control his features.

"Kastor lets me wander around the palace and talk to anyone not above my rank. Rumour has it the prince hasn't bedded anyone in two weeks. A few nights ago, the pet Laurent spent the night over though."

Laurent furrowed his brows. Two weeks? Did something happen then? He searched his memories, and found the answer. That was the day Damen confessed to Laurent. Did he really not bed anyone since? Not that two weeks was a long time, but for the Crown Prince who was constantly surrounded by lovers, it was odd.

"They say he has fallen in love," Nicaise carried on.

"Shut up," Laurent snapped, though the idea appealed to him. "Even if he developed feelings towards me, I would never reciprocate them."

"Whatever," the boy shrugged. "I think it would do you good if you let your walls down for someone. Anyways, want to see the dance of the wolf?"  
___

Isander seemed to be honoured that Laurent sent for him again. It didn't matter. He seemed to be honoured by everything. (At least that is what Laurent told himself. Secretly, he liked Isander a lot.)

They met in the library as usual. It was around noon, and Laurent came here straight after talking to Nicaise and sending for Isander. The latter was now hurrying across the shelves to meet Laurent.

"Good morning," Isander said. Laurent had achieved a great deal during their time spent together. Now Isander was comfortable enough with Laurent not to prostate himself on the floor in front of him, dare to speak first, and not refer to himself as 'this one'. The last one was the most difficult to achieve, and in turn, the most rewarding to see.

"Good morning, Isander," Laurent greeted him. "How are you?"

"I feel energetic. I feel like I could take on any challenge today."

Laurent didn't try to hide his smile. "Any challenge, hm?"

Isander nodded. His eyes were bright with readiness.

"Do you know the pet Julian?"

"Yes. He is the one who is always covered in rubies."

"Exactly. I need you to sneak into his rooms, and find letters. If you do, bring them to me immediately. I will read through them, and keep a few. The rest you will put back just where you found them. Keep in mind, you have to be quick. We only have time until dinner. Before dinner, he will go to his rooms to change. He might sit down to write or read letters, and we don't want to get caught. Can you do that?"

"Yes!" Isander exclaimed. "Where can I find you when I come back?"

"Among Damianos's slaves. I have to talk to them."  
___

Laurent has never been in Damen's slave quarters. With time, the pets grew accustomed to the presence of slaves, and they requested to be served by them instead of servants. Laurent suspected it was because they liked the submissiveness of them. He himself was still served by servants.

The slaves had a great garden that was just theirs. They had baths too, and a vast place under the arcades where they could dine together. It was exactly like the pet's quarters. It made Laurent wonder if all of the servant's rooms were like this or if the pets received slave quarters.

After wandering around, he finally found the one he was looking for. Lykaios. As he approached her, she kneeled on the floor and bowed her head. She behaved like every other slave, except Laurent had managed to convince her not to refer to herself as 'this one' when talking to Laurent. It was a small win compared to Isander but it mattered nonetheless.

"I want to ask you something," Laurent began.

Lykaios waited.

"Do you remember the night when Damianos invited two soldiers to drink?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you know which slave escorted him to bed that night?"

Ever since Nicaise told him that was the last time Damen had taken a lover, it has been bothering him. He felt that they drifted closer in the forest, and the early morning confession was a result of that. Did Damen really take a lover that very night?

"It was me, sir."

"Oh." It was easier than Laurent anticipated. "Did he take you?"

Lykaios blushed deep. With her skin it was hard to tell, but now she blushed so vehemently, she radiated nervousness.

"He didn't. He just let me massage him for a while, then he told me to stop. We talked, and fell asleep."

Laurent hid his surprise and relief. This stupid honourable barbarian.

"What did you talk about?"

"I-" she began, then went quiet. Laurent could see her build up the courage. A slave has sworn secrecy; she couldn't be expected to spill her master's secrets, even if it was just pillow talk. In the end, she deemed it harmless to tell Laurent. "We talked about you and the other pets. He said he was sorry for them. He admitted that at first, he had taken the wrong approach to you. And he was worried about Kastor's pets."

This stupid honourable barbarian.

"He also talked about you," Lykaios added shyly. "He said he enjoyed your time out riding. He regretted not inviting you to bath with him afterwards. Not necessarily to have sex but because he didn't want to lose what sparked between you two. He said, after you were so invested in Isander, he didn't want to disturb you. You seemed to be at ease and in a state of happiness and nostalgia."

"That was kind of him," Laurent said slowly.

"Forgive me for sharing my own thoughts but..." Laurent crouched down next to her, giving her all of his attention. "I only told this to you, because I think you have feelings for him, too. Your relationship reminds me of the tale of the two princes. You may not be a real prince, but I know the love between you and the Crown Prince is real."

"Oh," was all Laurent said.

He almost forgot about the prophetic tale. When he first heard it from Isander, he had thought about it for days. Nowadays it was pushed to the back of his mind by savouring every moment with Damen, planning his revenge, and navigating Kastor's plans.

But it was very real, and now that Laurent's mind was dealing with it again, he was sure he will not forget it.

He knew they were not the princes from the prophecy. Those princes never killed each other. They fell in love and united their kingdoms. Laurent wasn't going to do that.  
___

That night, Laurent was in Damen's bed again. Damen had used his mouth to pleasure Laurent, and he was still trembling at the thought.

"I heard I'm your only lover," Laurent said quietly.

Damen was tracing lines on Laurent's bicep. His hair and skin contrasted the white bedsheets.

"You are," said Damen proudly. Somehow Laurent knew that Damen wasn't proud of himself but rather of captivating Laurent's attentions and heart.

"Am I supposed to thank you for that?"

"No," Damen chuckled, shaking his head against the pillow. "If anyone, _I_ am supposed to be thanking _you_."

"For what?"

"For letting me into your heart. I do not know if I really am deserving, but I will do everything I can to be."

Laurent's eyes went wide. He didn't speak; he didn't know what to say to that.

"What? No witty remarks?" Damen teased lovingly.

Laurent felt himself flush. "When you make love to me like that, I can't think."

"Is it a bad feeling?"

Laurent took in the sight of Damen. He laid there, a study of brown curls and shining eyes. His face was an open book for Laurent to read.

"It's not," Laurent sighed. He had to change the topic before he bursts with emotion. "When will the Patran delegation arrive?"

"Your bedtalk is delightful, has anyone told you that?"

Laurent pinched Damen's shoulder. "Just answer me."

"Their last messenger said they were on the border. They will arrive in under a week."

"Will Prince Torveld be with them?"

"Of course, he's the Ambassador to Akielos."

And the Ambassador to Vere, Laurent thought. He met Torveld of Patras two weeks before he was thrown out of the palace. Torveld had taken an obvious liking to him, and Laurent kept rejecting his offers of spending a month in Patras. If there had been a pet who looked just like Laurent, Torveld would definitely have bought out his contract and taken him to Patras.

Torveld will blow his cover, if Laurent didn't think of something by the time he arrives. Laurent had told Damen that he has been three months in the palace. He must have met Torveld then. What if he said he was away that week? No, too suspicious. And Torveld will say that he would have heard about pet-Laurent if he existed, even if he was away.

This won't work.

Maybe if he told Torveld who he is, and asked for his aid? He would kill Damen just before they leave for Patras. But that wouldn't be any good either. If he didn't have Akielos's support, he needed to make sure the kingdom was in ruins before he left, so that they could not attack Vere while he was fighting his Uncle. That was why Laurent had to wait until Kastor's coup to kill Damen.

Attempting to kill all three royals that night was too risky. If Kastor didn't know about what was going to happen, he will not alert Damen’s guards not to do anything, and they would catch Laurent immediately.

The only way was to convince Kastor to do his coup the night after the Patrans have left. That way no one will think Laurent was in the palace, and he could sneak out unsuspected. But first, he had to know if Torveld would support his claim to the Veretian throne.

He will have to take care of the pets. Nikandros will have to be in the Court in case Torveld didn't want to or wasn't able to bring thirteen Veretian pets back to Patras.

"Will Nikandros come?" asked Laurent.

While he was deep in his thoughts, Damen almost fell asleep. Without opening his eyes, he said, "Yes. I can hardly wait. I haven't seen him in so long..."

"You haven't seen him in two months."

"Two months is a long time. It can change a man," Damen murmured sleepily.

You are right, Laurent thought. Two months can change a man.  
___

A few days later, Laurent was strolling in the gardens with Kastor. The sun was bright and warm. Only a slight breeze cooled the air down.

"You are doing a good job," Kastor said. "Damianos has fallen for you entirely. He doesn't take lovers, and all his afternoons are yours. What are you doing?"

"We play chess. Sometimes we go riding."

"Heh, like an elderly couple," Kastor scoffed. "You're lucky. You didn't have a difficult job. Damen is too quick to give his heart away to people."

"What do you mean?" Laurent stopped walking. Kastor stopped too, and now they stood facing each other.

Kastor shrugged. "His love comes and goes. If he loves someone, he loves them with all his heart. After a while, he will grow bored of you. Or if we didn't kill him, with time, you will probably anger him with your attitude. If he hates someone, he despises them completely. He is stubborn in that sense."

Laurent knew his face turned white. Whiter than it already was.

"Don't give me that look," Kastor laughed. "You pets can be so sensitive. He will be long dead before that could happen. Actually, I was thinking that maybe _you_ should kill him. In his sleep. It would be more dramatic that way."

Kastor's permission to kill Damen would make Laurent's plans a bit easier. But hearing it said aloud made his stomach sink. He didn't know why. He has been preparing for it ever since he was a child.

"I will think about it," said Laurent. Then, something occurred to him. "Was that what happened with Jokaste? Damen turned from loving to hating her?"

"You don't know about her?" Laurent shook his head. They began walking again. "She told Damen I was preparing to kill him. Damen told her to forget that. She wouldn't. Damen threw her out of the Court."

"That will not happen to me."

"I know, Laurent. That is why I chose you."  
___

"Have you ever heard of petteia?"

"Yes, though I don't know how they play."

"You grew up at the border of Akielos, and you don't know how to play petteia?"

"Delfeur was Veretian land when I lived there."

"Still."

"..."

"Whatever, at least I can have the pleasure of teaching you something."  
___

Laurent walked down the hall to Damen's rooms. It was late in the afternoon, but the sun was still high. Laurent liked that in Akielos. Everything was filled with light.

His wavy hair was flying behind him. He got into his head that he has to teach Damen how to braid. He had already ordered Lykaios to go to Damen's rooms and bring hair ties and ribbons. Laurent hasn't decided yet if they were going to practice on his or on Lykaios's hair. He wanted to instruct and teach Damen something new, but he also wanted to feel his fingers gently braid his hair.

The guards let him in without a second glance. He was a recurring guest. Laurent closed the door behind him, and when he turned, he saw that Damen already had guests. Based on their clothing, they were Patran. 

One of them was Torveld. Laurent swallowed, and bowed elegantly. He hoped he will be able to talk himself out of this situation or that Torveld was stupid enough to forget most of his stay in Vere.

"I didn't expect you to join us," Damen said, not unhappily. "Come, sit down. Lykaios will pour you some wine."

That snapped Laurent out of his anxiety. He smiled at Damen, and before strolling over to him, he glanced at the other Patran.

He went perfectly still.

No, this cannot be.

He wanted to gather his thoughts, he wanted to think, but he already felt the world going black. Damen shouted his name, but he only heard it bluntly. All he was able to sense was a pair of bright blue eyes.


	9. Him

Laurent didn't dream.

When he woke, he vaguely remembered stepping inside Damen's chambers to see Prince Torveld and...

He shook his head.

No, really. Now he knew that Torveld and Damen were alone. He didn't see Auguste with them.

It happened sometimes. After Auguste's death, Laurent kept thinking he saw his brother at the dinner table, in the gardens, or in a corner. None of the sightings were real. Auguste was dead. The hallucinations became rarer as the years went forward, but they never disappeared. Laurent had thought the extreme change of scenery made them stop.

Now he knew it was only temporary.

He opened his eyes to see the standard bare white Akielon ceiling. The place was filled with light. He struggled to sit up.

"Let me help," said a voice on his right. Gentle fingers touched his bicep to pull up and forward, and the pillow behind him was arranged, so he could lean against it.

"Are you all right? Do you need something?"

"My throat... I need some water." He had barely finished the sentence by the time a slave handed him a cup. Laurent nodded in thanks, realised it was a bad move, because his head hurt, then drained the cup.

"I believe you have just caused an international incident," said the man now.

So far, he did not dare to look at the man next to him. His voice was so familiar. Laurent wouldn't be able to bear hearing a voice like this, and seeing the wrong face. During these long years it became harder and harder to remember his brother’s voice. Now, hearing the man, it felt like as if all his memories returned. He gathered his strength to look at him.

He was in his late twenties. His nose was straight, like Laurent's, his hair honey-gold, his eyes blue, but that was all the resemblance they had. His face was lined with years of worry, his build muscular as if he had spent all his life on the battlefield. He wore his Patran clothing with ease like a second skin, but the little starburst embroidery and the blue colour of his shirt didn't escape Laurent's attention.

"Is this some kind of a sick joke?" Laurent asked dryly. The man furrowed his brows. His eyes reflected anger and confusion.

" _You tell me._ I arrive in Akielos, and suddenly a pet charades in, looking like the dead Prince Laurent." He took a deep breath, and leant closer. Laurent couldn't bear to hold his gaze; he looked at his hands, fumbling with the bedsheets instead. "Please, answer me truthfully. You look so much like him. Are you the real Prince Laurent?"

His tone was so cold. Auguste would never speak to Laurent like that. But they were not Auguste and Laurent. For the other, they both were oddly familiar looking strangers.

"Why would I tell you?" asked Laurent quietly. "I don't trust you. I arrive in Akielos, spend two months here, and suddenly a man charades in, looking like the dead Prince Auguste."

"Ask me something only he would know, " suggested the man.

Laurent laughed bitterly, losing his patience. "Don't toy with me. I know you are not Auguste."

"Fine, then I will ask something." He thought only for a few seconds. "How did Prince Auguste get the scar on his left thigh?"

Laurent, despite himself, smiled at the memory. "We were in his room. He was sixteen, I was eight. He wanted to do some trick with a dagger. It didn't go as expected. He told everyone he got it while hunting at Chastillon. He made me swear not to tell anyone."

As he finished, he looked up, and met the man's eyes. For a moment, they just stared, seizing each other up. Then, Auguste jumped from his chair and threw his arms around Laurent.

Laurent hugged him back, slower, but more tightly. He nestled his face in the crook of his brother's neck, and his heart leaped as he smelled the familiar scent of him. Somehow, he didn’t lose that aspect of him. Auguste whispered something in his ear, but Laurent could make nothing out of his words. He was too indulged in the fact that his brother was present, and he was close.

Now everything was going to be fine.  
___

After, they talked.

Auguste recounted how he escaped Marlas. He lost consciousness on the middle of the field. He awoke in a tent for a brief time, but then he fainted again. For the upcoming days, he drifted in and out of consciousness. He wasn't present for the days when his fate was decided, but Jord - Laurent remembered him as one of Auguste’s most loyal men - helped him a great deal then, and he told him what happened.

Jord told Auguste that as soon as the newly appointed Regent got word from Auguste being alive, he marched to his tent. In the privacy of the tent, he tried to kill his nephew, and would have succeeded, if it weren't for Orlant not trusting him, and sneaking inside just in time to hold him back. The Regent couldn't fight Auguste's four guards, and it would have been enough to raise suspicion that Auguste wasn't dead for him to lose all his prestige.

He knew this very well, and came prepared. He said that if any one of them was to try anything, he would shout. He had Laurent in his tent, which wasn't far away from here, and he left his most loyal men there with the instruction that if he shouted, they would slit his throat. Even if they did not know if it was true or not (it was), Auguste's guards could not and would not risk that. They knew that Auguste loved little Laurent more than his life, and after all, he was their Prince too. After almost an hour of negotiation, they agreed that the four guards would smuggle Auguste out that night, and they would sail away to anywhere but Vere. But the moment they set foot on Veretian ground, the Regent would kill Laurent.

Both parties knew that as long as Auguste lived, the Regent's throne wasn't safe. During the six years Auguste had spent away, a total of eight assassins came after Auguste. They killed the first four, but after that, Auguste had an idea. He paid the assassin a small fortune to bring home the news that Auguste was dead. That solved their problems for three months. The fifth assassin told them she was supposed to tell Auguste first that the Regent was not a fool, and after that, kill him. It took all five of them to end her. The sixth one was more willing to cooperate. He accepted their money, and he was supplied with a bloodied strand of Auguste's golden hair, and one of his rings. That convinced the Regent enough to only send two assassins during the following three years. Both were killed.

On the night of Marlas, the four guards - Jord, Orlant, Rochert and Lazar - took the comatose Auguste away. They stole some gold from here and there in the camp, and boarded a ship at the port. They sailed along the coast of Akielos, spent a few months on Isthima, and over two years, they reached Patras. The Patrans were historical friends of Vere, and personal friends of Auguste. Prince Torveld recognised the Crown Prince - and surprisingly, Lazar -, and offered sanctuary for them.

The next four years they spent in Patras. The kingdom was in constant war with Vask, so for a long time they could not offer the military support Auguste would need for his claim to the throne. Even now, they only gave him five thousand men, but Auguste was genuinely thankful for that. When they heard that the Akielon king was beginning to open towards Vere, they decided to try their luck.

Auguste still hasn't revealed himself before Damen. They wanted to map out his loyalties first.

"Do you think he could be convinced into supporting me?"

Laurent sighed, and nestled himself deeper into his pillows. "I... never considered him as a possible ally. For obvious reasons." Auguste nodded understandingly. "But once... he told me he grieved you." He didn't add _'and me'_.

"I can work with that," Auguste said, eyebrows furrowed. Laurent knew he wore this expression when he was trying to solve a particularly difficult problem. "I never imagined he would be happy to learn he didn't kill me after all. If Theomedes wasn't sick, I would have just gone straight to him."

"Make sure I am there at the grand reveal. I want to see his face," Laurent said. He couldn't decide if the smile cornering his own lips was loving or wicked.

"Ah, that reminds me! You didn't tell me a thing about your life, you stealthy little thing."

Indeed, Laurent kept quiet about his last six years. Mostly, because they had been filled with grief, wrath, sorrow, and bitterness. He pulled the sheets higher on his torso, as if that could protect him while he was baring his soul.

"I grieved you. I swore revenge against Damianos. The Court became debauched. Uncle was terrible. A few months ago, he put me on a ship and sent to Akielos as a pet."

Auguste examined Laurent for a bit. "You are speaking of it very matter of factly," he remarked.

"I tend to view horrible things in such a way, yes. It makes them easier to accept."

Auguste did not answer for a long time. Laurent wondered if he has just made a mistake. When he was younger, he always opened up to his brother without question. Auguste knew all his secrets, and Laurent trusted him more than himself. Now, it was much harder to do. Laurent had been forced to grow up without Auguste, surrounded by enemies. He survived his Uncle somehow. Auguste went away to the Patran Court, and most likely lost a lot of Veretian traits, and consequently, became a more foreign man to Laurent.

At first, he was overwhelmed by Auguste's presence, and felt more joy than ever. But now, things were settling in, and Laurent, who faced everything with a cool head, became aware of a few problems.

First of all, how will Vere and Uncle bear the news that the two dead Princes will march against him leading an army of Patrans and Akielons? Will Damen even provide support? How will he react when Laurent and Auguste reveal themselves? Will he still like Laurent after he lied to him, and planned to kill him? Well, maybe he won't need to know the last part, but still... Gods, what will he do with Kastor? How will he sabotage his coup before it's too late?

These were all problems he never though he would have to face. His head began to ache. He lifted his hands to massage his temples.

"Are you all right? Do you need water?" Auguste asked. Laurent looked at him.

Despite all the difficulties he brought with himself, and all the years that caused them to drift away from each other, he still couldn't help but enthusiastically drink in the sight of him. Auguste, the golden Crown Prince of Vere. His wavy golden hair was bathed in sunlight, shadows danced on his face, and his blue eyes were shining. Laurent wondered if that was how he was going to look like in eight years. Auguste's face was lined with worry though. He has always been an honest man, just like Damen. He learned how to hide his emotions in Vere, but he was likely freer to express himself and make actual facial expressions in the last six years.

"Laurent?"

"Huh?"

"You look like you have a headache," Auguste said. Then, something occurred to him. "Oh, dear Gods, are thinking about how I never wrote you a letter?"

Laurent blinked, utterly taken aback. No, he wasn't thinking about that.

"You know, I wanted to." Auguste reached for Laurent's hand, and Laurent let him take it. "I have more than a hundred letters addressed to you. I wrote you one every month. It was kind of a diary, and it helped me cope. To let myself imagine that you were safe, and I was able to send you letters. I have sent you a few, but the people carrying them never returned. I believe they were killed before they could deliver them. You can read them now, if you want. I don't have all of them, they are in my room in Patras but I did bring a few old ones, and wrote new ones along the way here."

Laurent pressed his lips together, and closed his eyes, but it was too late. He was already crying.

Tears were running down his cheeks. If they were tears of joy or sadness or grief, he didn't know. Maybe it was a combination of the three. He was relieved that he had Auguste, he was grateful that Auguste had sent him letters, he was sad that they both had such a rough life, and he grieved another life they could have spent together.

Auguste hugged him again, and held him until he cried all his tears out.


	10. Far Away, In Another Life

He was here. He was with Laurent.

Of course, his presence upturned Laurent's plans but frankly, he was relieved. He will have to stop an Akielon coup and march against his Uncle but he won't have to kill Damen, and that was worth everything.

As Laurent never regarded that as a possibility, at first, he had no idea how to handle the situation. He had a suspicion that Auguste would provide useful advice but it was too embarrassing to tell him that he fell in love with the man he was planning to kill for taking his brother's life.

To Laurent's surprise, _Auguste had asked him_ for advice on what to do next. He had said Laurent was more familiar with Akielon and Veretian politics at the moment, and he was also curious how his little brother would handle such a situation. Laurent had told him to give him some time to think. Auguste obliged.

That time Laurent decided to spend in Damen's company.

He went straight to Damen's chambers, and knocked this time. Auguste said a few hours had passed since he fainted. In Vere, the sky would be darkening by now; here, the sun was high.

"Come in," came the answer.

Damen was sitting on one of the couches, biting his nails in anxiety, a habit Laurent had only seen him do when it came to his father's illness. He stood up, his face the picture of utter relief, and rushed to hug Laurent tightly.

"Laurent..." he murmured. "I was so worried! Those Patran guards wouldn't let me come into the infirmary. Torveld talked to me after, but I could not concentrate. I'm so glad you are better. Wait." He gently pushed Laurent away so he could inspect him more thoroughly. "You are better, right?"

"Yes, I am. I'm not that delicate."

Laurent stepped aside, and strode over to the balcony. One important confession had already taken place there. Now it was time for another. He glanced over his shoulder to indicate he wanted Damen to follow him.

Laurent leaned on the balustrade. A small ocean wind caressed his cheeks. Damen came to stand next to him, his right hand resting on the rails, the other reaching for Laurent's. Laurent let him place his palm on top of his hand, fingers lightly intertwined.

They stood there in silence for a while. Laurent did his best to gather his thoughts - which was hard after the events of this afternoon, and especially hard while being in physical contact with Damen. The man didn't push him, just studied his features, sensing that Laurent needed time. Laurent was grateful for that. Grateful for him.

"There is something you should know," Laurent finally began. He turned right to face Damen. When Damen confided in him, he could barely look into the other man's eyes, he was so overcome with emotion. Now, after spending so much time with him, he was more comfortable. Damen didn't answer, still not wanting to pry.

"Don't think ill of me because I kept it a secret. I had my own reasons, which I know you are going to understand." He felt Damen squeezing his hand softly, and that was what gave him the strength to continue. "I am not who I said I am. At least not entirely. You know that I have the looks and the name of Prince Laurent of Vere... What would you say if I told you I am Prince Laurent?"

At first, Damen's expression was unreadable. It was rare, Laurent didn't know what it meant. Then Damen leaned closer, lifted a hand to cup Laurent's face, and planted a kiss on his forehead. When he pulled away, his eyes were warm, and a smile sat on his lips.

"I would say I suspected something."

Laurent blinked. His eyes went wide. Damen let out a laugh.

"You were excellent in hiding it but there were some... odd things you could not cover. A pet who is fluent in Akielon and speaks Veretian with an elaborate vocabulary. A pet whom all the others respect without question... Those pets who are constantly trying to undermine each other. A pet who is almost too good at chess and riding. And I have never seen you spar but based on your muscles I bet you are a trained swordsman."

"So it was not even that I was repulsed by sex?" Laurent asked, disbelieving.

Damen shrugged. "In the palace, we have slaves who don't feel arousal until they have fallen in love with someone. Or never. I thought you were like them. It was nothing strange." He kissed both of Laurent's knuckles. Laurent felt himself blushing. "Thank you for telling me all that. Thank you for trusting me."

In perfect unison, they turned to gaze at the sea. They both found calm in its infinity. A few minutes had passed like that, when Damen spoke.

"So, do you want your throne or...?" he asked, half-jokingly.

"Not at all!" Laurent exclaimed with more passion than he intended to. Damen's presence tended to bring his emotions out. To the man's puzzled face, he added, "How much shock can you handle in one day?"

Damen shook his head. In disbelief; or to clear it, perhaps.

"It depends on what you are about to reveal before me."

"Give me a minute," Laurent excused himself, and went to the main door of the chambers. He sent Pallas who was standing guard in front of it to look for... Actually, he didn't know what name Auguste went by as a Patran ambassador so he told Pallas to look for the blond Patran man.

When he returned, Damen was standing at the low table between the sofas, pouring some wine.

"Do you want some? I figured I needed it."

"No," said Laurent, sitting down on the sofa he usually occupied.

"I am sure you will want some more adequate clothes," he asked, sipping from his cup. Laurent nodded. "Maybe dark blue?"

"Dark blue is the colour of the Veretian Crown Prince," said Laurent, suddenly aware that he was no longer the heir to the throne.

"Would you prefer red and lions, then?" Damen teased.

Before Laurent could answer, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," said Damen, and Auguste stepped into the room.  
___

It was the blonde Patran man who introduced himself as Baldr.

"Take a seat," Damen offered, as he took his facing Laurent. Even though there was a third sofa now - specifically for the Patran guests -, Baldr sat down next to Laurent.

It annoyed Damen, since he knew well that Laurent didn't like strangers invading his personal space. He almost decided to forget his manners, and ask the man to sit elsewhere, when he realised it did not bother Laurent at all. Quite the opposite, he seemed to be positively comfortable. Maybe even pleased.

That was when their strikingly identical looks hit Damen. Baldr and Laurent had the same blue eyes and fair skin, only the older man's hair was a few shades darker than Laurent's. He was taller and stronger in build, but that didn't draw attention from how similarly their eyebrows were arched, their lips curved, and they both had the same straight nose. They looked like as if they were sculptures depicting gods. They looked as if they were...

"If you are going to tell me that he," Damen said, pointing a finger at the older man," is the dead Prince Auguste, I'm going to lose my shit."

They both looked completely appalled for a few moments. Even their expressions were the same. Arched eyebrows, lips parted slightly, chin raised up, as if in defence. It was Laurent who collected himself faster.

"You are smart for a barbarian."

That was enough for confirmation. Damen buried his face in his hands, suddenly so overcome with emotion, he could not decide whether to cry or laugh. His fingers found his hair, and pulled firmly. It was an Akielon gesture of uncontrollable passion. If Akielons were upset they would tear their clothes and pull their hair out.

All those years... All those years spent in triumph and desperation. 'Hero of Marlas', the Akielons called him. His father patted him on the back proudly. The kyroi looked at him with newlyfound approval that suited him as someone who has proven himself on the battlefield. Every new acquaintance he made, they greeted him as the Prince who showed those Veretian snakes what Akielons were capable of. Kastor's envious stare. When they fell out, and in his anger, Damen said, Kastor has never proven himself in war, even though he was there at Marlas, and he killed just as many Veretians as Damen. He slayed two generals. But not the Golden Prince.

'Prince-killer', the Veretians spat during their return through Delpha. After their fallout, Kastor had gone North, and Damen felt the loss of him, and he thought about the younger Veretian Prince, deprived of his older brother. Laurent had lost Auguste and his father. He had lost so much, and gained so much in the course of a few hours. The spies Damen had sent, who returned saying that even years later, the Prince was bitter and unsuitable for the throne. And it was all because of Marlas. Because of Damen.

He felt a hand resting on his shoulder.

"I remember your confession, yet I cannot tell whether you are happy or devastated."

Damen lifted his head to look up at Laurent, standing next to him, through tear-welled eyes.

"I cannot tell either."

In a moment of rare gentleness, Laurent tucked a curl behind Damen's left ear, and cupped his cheeks.

"I know you are helplessly sentimental. Shall we give you some time alone?"

"No," Damen protested immediately. "Stay. Both of you."

Laurent sat down next to him, and a new feeling came over Damen, the feeling of Laurent so near, his thigh softly touching Damen's, his hands now stroking his back. Laurent being next to him tossed every other feeling far away. It calmed Damen.

"I have so many questions."  
___

Auguste told his story once more. He was a great storyteller. With Laurent, he emphasized that he was safe, but now, he recounted his adventures in more detail to amuse Damen. He talked about an assassin who had followed them onto a ship, and whose body they had to throw into the sea, as they would not reach shore until a week later. He talked about another one who came dressed as a pet, not knowing Auguste didn't like men. He talked about a gossip in Patras that claimed that the Regent had found some pet who looked just like Auguste, and his body was displayed as the Prince's after the battle, because the real Prince wanted to run away with his secret Akielon lover.

The second story amused both Damen and Laurent. Damen could not stop laughing. Laurent said, "Please tell me, you don't have a secret Akielon lover."

"I don't," said Auguste. "But I do have a Patran princess as fiancée. It was Torgeir's criteria in exchange for the military support."

"A wise decision," said Laurent, his face so deadpan, Damen burst out laughing again.

"At least pretend to be happy for me." Auguste was trying to repress a smile.

"I will judge when I meet her," answered Laurent calmly, trying to hide his jealousy. And failing, based on his companions' expressions. He crossed his arms on his chest, and looked away. "Let us talk of something else."

"Fine, how did you make the pets like you?" Auguste laughed. Laurent could not tell if he actually expected an answer, but he provided one anyway.

"We stopped at Revelen to change ships. I escaped with Nicaise, and hid in a brothel, assuming that was the last place they would search for me. We planned to stay there a few days, and wait until they gave up on looking for me. My plan was almost perfect, only I did not consider that seamen from our ship will come in two days later to fuck. They recognised us, and we were forced to return dressed like common brothel prostitutes. The fact that I managed to last three days in a brothel, and returned wearing such clothes, earned me some respect among the pets. From there, I could work on slowly gaining their trust."

By the time he finished, both his brother and Damen were staring at him in amazement.

"You had a good strategy, and things still worked out just fine after you were caught," Damen remarked. "I wish I had your luck. Once, a woman lured Nikandros and I into a brothel, and as soon as we stepped inside, we were faced by a kyros enjoying at least three girls at once. We backed out, and ran inside the palace. I still can't banish the image from my mind."

Even Laurent laughed at that. He didn't laugh often, but he did it more frequently when he was with Damen. And when he had been with Auguste. Now, both of them, the two most important people in his life were next to him, within an arm's reach. He was almost perfectly happy like this. Only one thing was missing.

"Damen," he said, his voice serious enough that Damen and Auguste ceased laughing. "I need to know. Will you support my brother in his campaign for the throne?"

Damen's eyes were on him, filled with infinite adoration and courage. "I will."  
___

As it was a terrible idea to uncover their identity in the heart of Akielos, Laurent and Auguste remained incognito.

During the feasts and festivities that welcomed and entertained the Patran delegation, Laurent had time to think. He came up with a new plan, built on the ashes of the old one. Some key elements remained, but his goal changed drastically, and that required a few alterations.

First of all, he had to deal with the dying Theomedes. He has been sick for a long time, but Laurent thought he was still able to recover. He remembered Kastor being so sure about his father's oncoming death, and that his entire coup was dependant on when the King will die. Laurent was a Veretian, he knew slow acting poison when he saw it.

He made Damen send away all the palace physicians, and let the Patran ones tend to Theomedes. He explained that Patras was famous for its well-educated healers, which was true. But he lied to Damen about the real reason, because he was not about to make the same mistake as Jokaste. Damen had kicked her out of the Court because she told Damen the truth about Kastor, but lacked real proof.

Laurent's first proof were the little phials he stole from the palace physicians' rooms. His second were the many letters between his Uncle and Julien.

Laurent decided to set a trap for Kastor, in case Damen was not satisfied with the poison and the letters. It will be difficult, since Kastor had a more intricate mind than most Akielons. For that, he had to know a few things.

When the news came that Theomedes was steadily getting better, Laurent asked Damen about Kastor.

"We don't talk as much as we used to," said Damen, frowning at ceiling. It was late at night, the sheer curtains were dancing in the wind. The light of the moon illuminated their skin. It was cold, and Laurent snuggled closer to Damen, and pulled the sheets up.

"We talked almost every day, and spent an afternoon together every week. In the last month, he became distant. He doesn't look for my company anymore. I think it was because of father's illness. I hope that now he will return to his old self."

Laurent said nothing.  
___

"I apologize if I seemed too straightforward," Prince Torveld said. "In trying to convince you to come to Patras."

Laurent and the Prince were seated next to each other at yet another banquet. Or feast. It was hard to tell with the Akielons. This one was held at lunchtime, which was odd for Laurent. Akielons were getting drunk in broad daylight. Slaves held some fabric over his head so he won't get sunburnt. The tables were arranged in a semicircle, and in the middle, dancers entertained the guests without pause. If a group was finished, another took over their place immediately.

"It's fine," Laurent answered, sipping wine. It was so sweet, he loved it. He will have to import some when he's in Vere. "Now I see your motivations."

"I'm glad, then. I wanted to tell you the real reason but I didn't dare in a palace full of your Uncle's people."

"It's in the past. I am grateful you support my brother."

"To his health," Torveld lifted his cup, and so did Laurent. It felt a bit weird to drink to his brother's health after what happened but he didn't care.

On Laurent's left, Damen wasn't talking to Kastor. The latter seemed good humoured to the unsuspecting observer, but Laurent had great experience in hiding his emotions, and he knew that Kastor bore the signs of anger at the world in general. No wonder. Theomedes was getting better and better, and his plan for the coup got out of reach more and more. He was unhappy with the circumstances but he couldn't complain, because what kind of son would scold the doctors who cured his father, and his brother who called them?

That did not mean he gave up though. He was prepared to be king up until he was ten, and some infant took everything away from him. He had been holding a grudge for most of his life. As long as Kastor was in Akielos, Damen and his father will never be safe. Sadly, he was smart enough to make Laurent's job difficult. Laurent now suspected that simple letters won't be enough. He will have to catch Kastor in the act of treason.

He shifted his gaze across the courtiers, and found the ones he had been looking for. Ancel and Nikandros arrived two hours ago. Laurent hadn't had an opportunity to talk to either of them, and Damen had talked to him only briefly. Damen's plan was to gather the northern forces to help Auguste. The northern men were war-hungry, and hated Veretians, but Damen still had a much better chance at convincing his old friend to help than the kyroi. Laurent's plan was a bit different. He needed Ancel (and maybe Nikandros too) to set a trap for Kastor.

Kastor still thought Laurent was on his side. He still hasn't given him bigger tasks, since he 'didn't trust Veretians', but that suited Laurent well enough. Nowadays, Kastor usually told Laurent to whisper things in Damen's ear. Kastor's pets say he misses you, they say he's a good man and treats them well, Kastor was overjoyed to hear about Theomedes's recovery, he was angry at himself for not thinking of calling Patran doctors. None of these reached Damen, of course.

"Excuse me. Are you Laurent?" a female voice asked from behind his back, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Laurent turned, and found himself facing a kind-faced woman, only a year or two older than him. She had the pale brown hair of Patrans but her eyes were lilac, a trait Laurent has never personally seen, only heard about. It was told that generations ago a Patran woman made a magician enchant her to have eyes like that. She became famous for her unusual eyes, and the Patran Crown Prince married her. Ever since that, women of the royal family had eyes that colour.

"I am," he answered cautiously. He didn't know if Auguste had told about him to her.

"May I sit?" She asked this rather of Torveld, a little teasing. Laurent had never met a family who had a normal love-hate relationship, so this way of behaviour was new to him. Now that he thought about it, he never saw a full, well-functioning family either. He wondered what the Patran royal family was like.

Torveld murmured something about rude nieces, but stood. The Princess took his place immediately, and began an enthusiastic (hushed) monologue.

"Oh dear, I have heard about you so much! Back in Patras, Auguste used to wonder how tall you were, if you were still so bookish, and if someone managed to get you into sword practice. Ever since yesterday, he will not shut up about you! He barely knows you but he's so proud of you! He told me you are kind of reserved, so I won't bother you for too long. I just wanted to meet you."

Laurent blinked slowly. Gods, this woman was even more overwhelming than Damen. Somewhere during speaking she grabbed both of Laurent's hands. Surprisingly, he didn't mind her touch. Her hands were warm and soft and comforting. Laurent was very curious what kind of person she was beyond the overenthusiasm, but he was not sure if he could handle another wave of speech from her.

Luckily, Damen chose this moment to come beside them. He pulled over a chair, and sat down on it. He looked handsome in his chiton, golden laurel and wine-coloured cape. His chiton was even shorter sitting down, and Laurent had a hard time not staring at his muscled thighs. Or at his muscled shoulders. Laurent fixated his gaze on the Princess.

"Princess Dalma," Damen greeted her, and kissed her hand in the Akielon style.

"Exalted," Princess Dalma (so that was her name), smiled at him.

"How do you find Akielos?"

"Lovely!" And she launched into another monologue about the good things in Akielos. Laurent didn't really pay attention to her; his mind became occupied with Damen's hand holding his own, that Dalma had let go of. He felt Damen calm him down. He knew that Damen somehow saw how nervous he was, and came here to lead the conversation instead of Laurent.

With his other hand, he picked up a honeyed pecan, and popped it into his mouth. It was good. He looked around if there were any slices left of that pecan-apricot pie. He saw a slave carrying one, and waved him over. The slave beamed that she could come near so important people. She placed a generous slice before Laurent, and another one before Princess Dalma, who didn't ask for one aloud, but the slave noticed something in her eye that told her the Princess wanted some.

"Before you go," he called after the slave. She turned, blushed a deep shade of red, and came as close to the table as she dared, ducking her head. Laurent leaned forward, not letting go of Damen's hand, which made his torso twirl awkwardly, but he didn't mind. "Please, find Isander, and send him to my rooms tomorrow at mid-morning."

She bowed, and hurried away. Laurent still did not like the idea of slavery one bit, but he had to admit that causing someone joy just by ordering them around was good for his psyche. In Arles, he always had to speak to everyone in harsh tones, and even then most people would not obey him. Here, slaves and servants were happy to oblige him, even though he was just a prostitute from another country.

Obviously, Laurent being gentle with slaves didn't mean they were always treated right. Damen told him no one in Akielos would force a slave to do anything they don't want to, but that didn't matter, because the slaves didn't have free will to begin with. He was going to have to talk a lot about that to Damen to make him erase slavery.

Oh.

He has just thought about it, about them, as if they were forever. As if they were going to be together years later. Laurent shook his head. He had never allowed himself such thoughts. Before Auguste came, he didn't think about it because he wanted to kill Damen. Now he didn't think about it because he wanted to go home with Auguste.

He sighed. It felt like as if Auguste had been with him again for much longer. His reappearance divided his life into two. In his new life, time was slower, but in a good way. He wanted to experience every moment with him with his full attention. The same applied to Damen. Except, Damen was more likely to part from him.

He absentmindedly rested his head on Damen's shoulder. It felt nice. He felt the man shift to place a kiss on the top of Laurent's head. He never really showed affection in Vere towards anyone, but now he was far away, in another life where everything was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! The next chapter is going to be the last. Also, a little note on the names:  
> 1\. Baldr is a Northern deity loved by everyone, and killed by accident. I thought his character and story apply to Auguste quite well.  
> 2\. Dalma is a name created by the Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty from a Hungarian dialectal word. It kind of means bulky, but not in a derogatory way at all. It was originally used for a male character but nowadays is mostly given to girls.


	11. The End

The feast was going into that phase when people drank more than they talked when Laurent went over to Nikandros. The man had Ancel in his lap who have obviously begun warming him up for the lazy early afternoon hours. They were both flushed, and lost in each other. From Damen's anecdotes, Laurent knew Nikandros to be an uptight man. He silently congratulated himself for setting him up with Ancel, arguably the only pet who was able to fire up even the most stoic people. Except for Laurent. (Though Ancel never dared to try, so this is not an official declaration.)

Laurent cleared his throat. Neither of them looked up.

"Lord Nikandros."

Ancel was the first one turning, as he recognised his Prince's voice. Nikandros reluctantly followed.

"Don't bother me now, I am about to retire," he said offhandedly. Laurent rolled his eyes, and looked at Ancel for help. The pet nodded.

"Nik, don't you remember Laurent? I'm sure he's Damianos's lover now. You better go and talk to him. It must be urgent if he disturbs us at such an inconvenient time."

"Fine," Nikandros said. Ancel stood up, allowing his lover to follow Laurent into a secluded place under the arcades.

"Did Damen really send you?"

Laurent couldn't judge what the question was aimed at. Was Nikandros offended that Damen sent his pet? Did he not believe Ancel? Either way, Laurent didn't care. So he just launched into executing his plan.

"Lord Nikandros, this is a serious issue, and I wanted to talk to you because I know you share my suspicions." He lowered his voice, even though no one could hear them this far away, and amongst the chatter and laughter at the tables. "I believe Kastor was poisoning Theomedes and is now preparing to overthrow Prince Damianos."

That caught Nikandros's attention. At once, he was giving him his full being, his torso turned towards Laurent, hands hanging, and eyes wide - it was a very Akielon gesture that Laurent had seen many people do here.

"What makes you think that he poisoned Theomedes?"

Ah, so that part Nikandros hasn't figured out. To his benefit, Laurent had had only figured it out after roughly two months.

What Laurent was going to say was a very sensitive thing, and he had to be careful how he said it.

"I knew Damianos kicked Jokaste out of court for the same thing so I thought I should try a more complicated approach. After I began doubting Kastor's intentions with Damianos, I went to him. I told Kastor I wanted to see Damianos fall because he took my home, Delfeur. I just wanted confirmation and proof so that I can accuse him later. I wasn't able to find anything besides a few letters to various kyroi but I realised Theomedes was being poisoned. Kastor planned his coup for the night the King died, and that would be foolish unless he knew the exact date."

"But he's recovering, right?" asked Nikandros, truly concerned. Laurent was told that Theomedes had been like a father for him.

"Yes, he is. He became far better in a matter of a week since we replaced the doctors."

"Good," came the relieved answer.

"Lord Nikandros." Laurent stole some insecurity into his voice. "I want to ask you something. I need your help in unveiling Kastor's intentions in front of Damianos."

"Do you have a plan?"  
___

It was a simple plan. Laurent's Veretian mind was not satisfied with it, but he knew if he made things more intricate, the Akielons would end up blaming him for trying to undermine Prince Kastor or something equally ridiculous.

Laurent debated which of his three options seemed less mad. One: the dead Veretian Crown Prince Auguste returns and asks Kastor for help in finishing what he began on the battlefield. Two: the pet he has been talking to for weeks turns out to be the dead Prince Laurent of Vere who is seeking revenge for his brother. Three: Damen's most loyal friend offers Kastor his help in the coup. All of them seemed highly unlikely, but Laurent figured the third one was the most believable. Well, believable was not the right word. Maybe 'most likely to fool a desperate, power-hungry man whose plan has just fallen into pieces" was better.

"Do you trust me, Damen?" he said now.

It was a few days after his talk with Nikandros. Laurent was leading Damen into a room that was rarely used. Yesterday, he and Nikandros made some alterations to it. Now an enormous table stood in the middle, covered with a with cloth so big it reached the floor on all sides. That was the table Damen will hide under. To make it seem less odd, Laurent and Nikandros carried in two sofas and a small table, and draped them too. Behold, a room full of spare furniture. Ideal place for conspiracy.

"This is the most suspicious thing I ever took part in. So, no."

That did not bother Laurent at all. "I am aware of how it looks. But you are too curious now, aren't you?"

"I am," Damen admitted. The only thing Damen was currently aware of is that he needed to go under a table. Technically, that was all he was allowed to know, since if he realised that his brother's treachery was about to be proven, he would storm out of the room.

"Then, what are you waiting for?" Laurent made a gesture towards the table. "It is quite comfortable down there, I'm sure."

"For a man of your size, maybe," said Damen dryly. "Can't I hide behind the curtain?"

"That would be the most idiotic thing possible. No."

Seeing his lover's aversion, Laurent stepped forward, and planted a kiss on Damen's lips. At least, that was his intention. Damen's arms circled Laurent's waist, the kiss deepened, and Laurent's fingers found their way into Damen's curls.

A not that discreet cough interrupted them. They sprang apart like little kids caught doing something bad. Based on Nikandros's face, they were.

"Why isn't Damen under the table? Our rendezvous should be here in any minute!" he hissed, and peeked out of the door to size up the corridor.

Laurent cupped Damen's face with his hands. "Remember, Damen, all that you will hear from us will be an act. Nothing more. We are doing this for your own good."

Laurent ushered the Crown Prince of Akielos under the table. He had to lay on his stomach to have enough room for his limbs, and was complaining under his breath, but Laurent paid him no mind, and smoothed the fabric on the table, concealing Damen.

Just in time, as in the next moment, Isander and Kastor stepped into the room. Isander, in his quiet manner, let Kastor parade into the room, and closed the door, so he can run to fetch Damen's most loyal guards.

Kastor's eyes immediately fell upon the odd man out. "Nikandros? To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Nikandros was bad at concealing his emotions. Luckily, Laurent had calculated with that, and spoke before Nikandros could ruin everything with some unlooked for words.

"He is the one I told you about. I told you, you will be surprised." He managed to hit the antagonistic tone most pets used when making trouble.

Kastor's eyes widened. "That is not possible."

"It is." Nikandros finally found his voice. _Just stick to what we agreed on,_ Laurent thought to himself. _It's not that hard._ "Damianos is my oldest friend, and the one closest to me. He is a great military leader. But that does not mean he will make a great ruler." A small sound came from under the table, which Laurent covered up with a cough. "He is spoiled and childish. I cannot imagine him listening to the kyroi or trying to compromise with them. In the last year or two, he hasn't been willing to listen to me! And if even I can't hold him back from making a bad decision, then no one can."

"And what do you think should be done about it?" Kastor asked. He intentionally didn't mention his plan of killing Damen. Laurent didn't expect him to. He was kind of smart, after all. So far, everything was going according to plan.

"Honestly, I don't know." Nikandros shrugged. Apparently, that was the highest of his acting abilities. "I think we should talk to Theomedes. The only useful idea I had was to ask him to make you co-kings. That way he cannot make a decision without your permission. Don't think I like this option, because I don't, I still resent you, but I am also worried."

"Do you think he will agree to that? Do you think our father will agree to that?" Kastor asked. The perfect questions. It was Laurent's turn to speak.

"Nikandros, I do not mean to offend you, but nowadays I get more glances into Damen's thoughts. I feel that he's becoming greedy. And you both said that he is spoiled. All his life, they prepared him to be a king, and rule over a kingdom. Spoiled children never share their toys. Especially not with their brother. He will take it as a blow to his ego."

Nikandros sighed. "Fine. Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Kastor, tell him."

The tension in the room was growing. It neared its peak. Laurent could feel the air changing, and the emotions were almost tangible. He knew that under the table, Damen was holding his breath.

"I think our only option is killing him."

The world froze.

"Look, Nikandros. I have been thinking about him and this entire kingdom for years. He cannot be king. He would be a disaster. I know it. If I could, I would make him a leader of my armies. But I slipped this into our conversations and he was offended by the very idea that he will become anything other than the king. It was a hard decision to make. I love him. But I love Akielos more, and I am sure history will prove me right."

The shock of his words didn't have time to impact. The table fell over, and Damen emerged. Laurent and Nikandros stepped aside from his path. He looked like a vengeful god. His hair was slightly dishevelled from hiding in a small space and from Laurent's fingers. His eyes radiated hurt and anger. His impressive physique now appeared greater than ever. He looked invincible. The mere thought of someone taking his rightful throne away from him seemed impossible.

Kastor blanched. He involuntarily took a step back. Then something changed in his expression.

"Damen! I caught your pet and supposed best friend conspiring against you! A Veretian snake and a lover of another one. I knew they cannot be trusted. They are poisoning our country from the inside out!"

"No," Damen said in a tone Laurent had never heard. It was deep and dark and heavy from the promise of violence. "You are."

He marched forward, slowly, as if he didn't worry about Kastor trying to escape. Kastor turned, and made for the door, but when he opened it, he faced Pallas and Aktis. The soldiers caught and turned him to face Damianos, and made him kneel, holding him down by his arms and shoulders.

"Tell me one good reason why I should not strangle you to death right here." His voice was coloured with anger and hurt, just like his eyes before.

Kastor didn't answer.

"Just one."

Laurent noticed, astonished, that Damen's voice was becoming softer, his aching heart taking over.

" _Kastor, just one! Do you know what have you done?_ Do you know the punishment for it?"

Kastor remained silent.

"Get him out of my sight. Lock him in the dungeon."

Pallas and Aktis dragged the treacherous Prince out of the room. Damen turned.

Tears were running down his cheeks.  
___

"Keeping evidence in a pet's room?" Auguste said. "Clever."

It was deep into the night. Laurent had bathed Damen to calm him down. The Akielon Prince lay on his bed, his limbs folded as if to protect himself from blows. He hasn't spoken a word since he sent Kastor away. Laurent, despite himself, had Damen's head on his lap, and with one hand was stroking his hair, his face, his shoulders. His other hand was held firmly by Damen. He normally would never agree to be this intimate and vulnerable with anyone in the presence of others, but Damen needed him, and for Damen, he was ready to set aside his own sensibilities.

Damen's bedroom was a strange location for this conversation. He didn't mind it, though. Damen was comfortable with sharing his private space. And when he was sad or tired, he needed to be surrounded by the people he loved, in a place familiar.

When they had returned from the baths, Laurent had found Nikandros in Damen's chambers. He decided it was time for no more secrets, and sent a slave for Auguste. Auguste told Nikandros his and Laurent's story. Laurent told all three of them Kastor's. He asked Damen beforehand if he wanted to know, to which Damen just nodded into his lap. So he told them everything, from poisoning Theomedes to the letters to the planned coup.

"Yes," Laurent agreed. "According to Isander, Julien has a drawer full of them. I made him steal two, I still have those." He sighed, remembering there was a Veretian to be dealt with. "Julien has a weakness for misunderstood people. I assume he will be punished according to Akielon laws. What is the punishment for conspiring to kill the King and the Crown Prince?"

"Death, but in his case it can be softened to exile," Nikandros said. He was exhausted. He was barely holding himself up. He was leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed on his chest. Today, he witnessed his best friend being betrayed, the third most important man in the country thrown in prison, and found out that the two dead Veretian Princes were very much alive. Laurent could only imagine what he was feeling. Sympathy and sadness for Damen, mixed with relief that he was no longer in danger – and those were only part of what was probably going on inside the kyros’s head. Laurent could not imagine himself feeling so many emotions at once. Will he ever do? Will he ever be able to? Perhaps, if he remains by Damen’s side.

"It is nice to worry about your pet," Nikandros said, in the end sitting down on a chair nearby. "But I am more concerned by the kyroi who sided with Kastor. What are we going to do about them?"

"Nothing, obviously," Laurent said. He could hardly believe he had to solve all the problems of Akielos himself. "Some letters aren't enough evidence to accuse and sentence a kyros for treason. They will deny everything, even if Kastor pleads against them. But at least we have a list of names who mean potential danger to the throne. If they misstep or try to oppose Damen in the future, he can blackmail them with the letters. They are enough for a scare. Maybe we can convince one or two to plead against Kastor at his trial."

"I can't imagine how I lived without you," murmured Damen with closed eyes.

Laurent looked down at him. These were the first words he has spoken since Kastor's arrest. Something warm began to grow inside his stomach which he realised was love. In the last months he discovered a whole range of good feelings with Damen that were long lost to him. He smiled, and ruffled Damen's hair a bit just because he could.

Damen opened his eyes, and smiled back. Laurent loved Damen's smiles. His whole face lit up when he smiled - his eyes shone brighter, his dimple showed, and his face wrinkled. Laurent has never seen anyone smile like this. As he recalled from his childhood, even Auguste had a bit of sadness in his eyes.

Damen sat up, and stretched, showing off his developed muscles. Auguste whistled, and earned an irritated look from Nikandros.

"How do you feel?" the kyros asked.

"Better. But far from good."

"You do not need to feel good," Laurent assured him. "You were betrayed by someone close to you. You have all right to be furious."

"I'm not furious." Damen shook his head. To emphasize what he said or to clear it thoughts, Laurent couldn't tell. He crawled to the end of the bed, and leaned against the headboard. Since Laurent happened to be within arm's reach, Damen pulled him closer. Laurent felt some blood running towards his face. Auguste was looking at him with a devious, very Veretian smile. They will have to talk about it later.

"Then what are you?" Laurent asked.

"I don't know. Disappointed. Sad."

"It's okay," said Laurent. Hopefully reassuringly.

"Nikandros has enough fury for both of you," Auguste added.

"One of us has to think rationally," Nikandros defended himself.

Damen laughed a little.  
___

Damen and Laurent were lying in Damen's bed. Damen liked the feel of Laurent's naked body like this, after lovemaking. Well, honestly, he liked the feel of Laurent in any way.

He still remembered their first night together. It was after Damen took Laurent down to the market. Laurent was very imperious, and despite his best efforts, could not hide his nervousness. It was uncharacteristic for a pet. However, Damen didn't pry. For all he knew, Laurent could have been a pet who is only there for show. Maybe his masters wanted their pet to be just as frigid as the "real" Prince. In that sense, his real identity was not a big surprise.

Oh, how far away that memory seemed to be. Today, Kastor was sentenced to death for treason.

Up until the last moment, Damen wanted to believe that Kastor will get away with it. A part of him wanted his brother back. Another part wondered if he ever really had a brother. He never felt that there was any bad blood between him and Kastor. In retrospect, it all made sense though. Sometimes Kastor would give him advice that only weakened Damen's respect and power in politics. Sometimes Damen caught ill-intended gossips about himself that were supposedly spread by one of Kastor's servants. Sometimes Kastor seemed too... just too kind. Too forgiving towards Damen, too supportive when Damen outshone his brother in some way.

Their father was merciless. Damen has always been his favourite. He loved Kastor too, but anyone who meant harm for his only child from his late wife, the heir to his throne, were to be destroyed. Damen could see the pain in Theomedes's eyes as he proclaimed the sentence that was to be carried out the day after tomorrow. Favourite or not, he did love Kastor. He just loved Damen more. It made Damen feel guilty for being alive. Kastor made Damen feel guilty for being alive.

Laurent sensed his thoughts, and snuggled closer to kiss him. Damen allowed himself to be pulled away from reality for a moment.

"I've been thinking," he whispered into Laurent's lips.

"I didn't know you could do that," Laurent hummed. Damen bit his lips as retaliation.

"Seriously, I think you're interested in this."

Laurent must have realised what Damen wanted to talk about, as he closed his mouth, and lifted his eyebrows. Those were the signs of him listening. Damen liked that he knew that.

"I think it will be better for me if I spent some time away from Akielos. I need something to divert my attention from my brother. And what better way there is than supporting the man I killed in his claim to the throne?"

Something sparkled in Laurent's eyes.

"Are you ready to fight for us?"

"I am," Damen said.

It was the truth. He spent years tearing himself to pieces because he made a certain little Prince's life miserable. The least he could do is do everything he can to make up for it. And maybe fall more in love along the way...

He remembered a tale he heard when he was a child. It was about two princes who fell in love despite their differences, and united their kingdoms. As a child, he wanted to be the kind prince of the tale. Or, of the prophecy, as some people called it. As an adult, he knew that life was more difficult than this, and that prophecies were not always what they seemed.

Well, he and Laurent were both princes. Damen was kind and Laurent was hostile at first. They did fall in love. Maybe uniting their kingdoms wasn’t meant literally, just forging peace and alliances. Who knew. Damen, as an Akielon, was not good at reading between the lines.

In the morning, he will ask Laurent for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand, that concludes our story. I hope you liked it. :) Also, thank you for everyone who sent kudos, comments, bookmarked, or read. You are the too often unsung heroes of literature. <3


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